In 1980, as The Empire Strikes Back captivated audiences, Kenner released an exclusive Cloud City Playset through Sears in the United States and Canada. Unlike the more elaborate plastic playsets of the time, this was a cardboard-based environment — simple, cost-effective, and designed primarily as a vehicle to bundle and promote action figures. Despite its minimalism, it’s become a beloved and collectible piece of vintage Star Wars history. We include a Kenner Star Wars Cloud City Playset price guide and value guide with sold example at auction.
The playset featured a folding, three-panel cardboard backdrop with colourful printed scenes from Cloud City, including the carbon freezing chamber and the interrogation device used on Han Solo. A flat white plastic base and several white figure pegs allowed kids to stand their action figures securely in place and recreate key scenes from the film.
What sets this playset apart is that it came packaged with four action figures, included in a plain white mailer box labeled Cloud City Figures. The confirmed figure assortment was:
- Han Solo (Bespin Outfit)
- Lobot
- Dengar
- Ugnaught
These figures were standard Kenner releases but packaged together exclusively for this set. No additional accessories or vehicles were included. It retailed for $9.69 in the Sears 1980 holiday catalog and was never reissued in retail stores. While the playset’s materials were relatively basic, the printed backdrops had strong visual appeal, giving children a setting that encouraged imaginative play with minimal components.
As well as complete sets individual components such as boxes, card cut outs and figures from the set are also sort after.
It’s worth noting that while the same basic playset was released in Canada, the figure assortment is not known to have officially varied. Some anecdotal speculation has suggested possible regional differences, but there is no verified documentation or boxed example confirming alternate figures, such as Boba Fett, being included in the Canadian version.
The Cloud City Playset is one of several Sears-exclusive cardboard play environments from Kenner’s vintage era, following the same format as the earlier Cantina Adventure Set and the later Rebel Command Center. These sets were inexpensive, compact, and focused on figure display rather than interactive features.
Today, complete Cloud City Playsets — especially those with the original box, cardboard inserts, and mailer with all four figures — are highly sought after by collectors. It’s a standout item not for its complexity, but for its nostalgic charm and place in early Star Wars toy history.
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