Today, let’s take a look at the AT-ST, affectionately known as The Chicken Walker, from 1983.
The All-Terrain Scout Transport made its first appearance during the battle of Hoth in Empire Strikes Back. Obviously overshadowed by the iconic AT-ATs (literally and figuratively), the vehicle really became known during the fight on the forest moon of Endor in Return of the Jedi.
The AT-ST toy was first released in 1980 for Empire with a retail price of $16 (~$60 today). However, the AT-ST driver action figure wasn’t available until the vehicle was re-released for Jedi in 1983 (sold separately, of course).
The big draw of the AT-ST is the push-button, leg-stomping action on the back. You could lock the legs so that the vehicle could stand by itself, too. This type of action just isn’t something you’d see in a toy today…
As you can see, my AT-ST is in pretty great shape – the stickers are intact, the legs still work perfectly, and I still have the small gun for the roof hatch, which most kids lost immediately after opening.
The box, on the other hand, is pretty rough. I actually did a little bit of cleaning and restoration on the box, which includes using lighter fluid because it cleans and then evaporates quickly without damaging the cardboard. In order to make it stand, I’ve had to fill it with some empty cereal boxes. That being said, collectors say keep the box no matter what.
