The Sonic Controlled Landspeeder is a slightly larger version of the standard Landspeeder that is "remote controlled" by a clicking R2-D2. When R2 clicks, the Landspeeder changes direction. Fairly rare to find complete with remote. When a seller says "tested, motor works", it really doesn't mean much. If they don't show a video of it running as I describe below, you are buying a project.

The technical details:

There are two circuits in the speeder, each powered separately by the 2 battery compartments. One battery compartment powers the motor. The other compartment powers the "sonic controller". 

When you hit the switch, it opens power on both circuits. 

Similar to the remote Sandcrawler, the motor circuit is always on. It's full on or full off. The remote has no impact on the running of the motor whatsoever.

The "sonic controller" is a circuit with 3 main components: the circuit board, a mic, and an electromagnet. When the switch goes on, the circuit is listening through the mic for a loud click from the R2 "remote". When it "hears" the click, it temporarily triggers the electromagnet. The electromagnet (which is positioned up near the large drive gear with a spring) clicks and triggers a lever.

How it all comes together:

The front drive wheel component has 4 tabs around its hub. The drive wheel is positioned slightly off center. The lever connected to the electromagnet is the "stop" for the tabs around the hub. When you power it on, the motor starts running and the "sonic controller" starts listening, and the lever is holding one of the tabs. When you click the remote, the electromagnet fires, releasing the lever momentarily. Because it's off center, the drive wheel places torque on the whole hub that is now released. The hub starts spinning, the electromagnet releases the lever which then catches the next tab around the hub, which is 90 degrees offset from the first. Once the tab catches, the hub of course stops, and the unit is running perpendicular to the direction it was just going. The drive wheel itself never stopped spinning during this process. You have two things going on: a spinning wheel, and a spinning hub.

If you start going forward, and click once, it will start turning to the right. It will continue turning right until you click again, get another 90 degrees, and now it's going backwards. Click once more, 90 more degrees around, and it will be turning left. Once more, 90 more degrees, the circle is complete, and you are driving forward again, and can repeat the process till you go in the direction you need.

If you power the speeder on, and the electromagnet fires randomly, there is an "adjuster" on the board you can turn with a screwdriver. Typically, turn it all the way in one direction as far as you can, then slowly turn it the other direction until the electromagnet stops firing on its own. Try the remote, and continue to adjust if needed if it doesn't trigger when R2 clicks. If the motor is really loud, you may never be able to get a good balance and get it to work properly - but in theory, this is how it is supposed to work.

There's a lot that can go wrong in this Rube Goldberg contraption. The mic used tends to fail over long periods of time. The drive gear inside the hub of the drive wheel is the only thing that holds the hub in position. When it breaks, besides losing the ability to spin the tire, the whole hub falls out - which is why you see MANY Sonic Landspeeders with no drive wheel assembly. And last but not least, you have the motor. These little DC motors are prone to failing, and the gear on it is prone to breaking. The motor is fairly easy to revive. When any of the gears break, it is very hard to find replacements.

A clever design, but not the best, and definitely not the most reliable.

Here's a great quick video by Chronique Vintage that covers the vintage Sonic Controlled Landspeeder in more detail:

Galactic Collector firmly stands against parting out vintage toys, unless they are badly damaged, or already VERY incomplete. We know you can make more money selling the parts individually, but we ask that you reconsider! Every vintage toy you take apart is one less that exists.

If parts are missing - list out each item that missing. In our experience reviewing online auction sales (thousands of them!), listing these details earns you more money than simply saying "please review pictures, what you see is what you get".

The following suggestions are intended to help you get the best price possible for the figure you are trying to sell, whether you are selling on eBay, Mercari, or any other online platform.

Best Platforms for Selling Vintage Star Wars Action Figures

Every platform has its advantages. If you have a solid brand built in a particular platform - you should definitely sell there. In general, our top pick is eBay. Yes, we are an eBay affiliate, but eBay is a solid, reputable platform that has been around as long as e-commerce. People trust it, and it has solid protections for sellers and buyers. Other platforms like FaceBook Market Place, Mercari, Etsy, and even Poshmark are all solid platforms, but most sellers do not rely on any one of them singly. Often, if you find a listing on one of these platforms, it is likely cross-listed on eBay. So if you are looking to post on a single online platform, eBay is our top recommendation. For local sales, FaceBook Market Place and Craigslist are your best bets. Facebook will probably get you a larger audience, but Craigslist still attracts a large group of people that shy away from social media.

Tips For Listing Vintage Star Wars Action Figures Online

• Take clear, close-up photos of the figure, including the following:
  • Full body from the front, back, sides AND top.
  • Close ups of the accessory/weapon, by itself, from both sides.
• Take photos of any damaged areas, including scratches, rubbed off paint, or discoloration.
• Take photos of the figure standing without help of a stand if you can to demonstrate the tightness of the legs.
• Take photos of the figure with arms extended to demonstrate the tightness of the arms.
• Any the above photo suggestions can of course be combined to minimize the number of photos you need to take/upload. Consider an action pose of the figure from an angle, with weapon in hand, and the head pointed at the camera. This demonstrates a number of traits while at the same time making a cool main photo.
• If the arms and/or legs are loose, disclose that in the listing.
• If there is any damage or discoloration, disclose that in the listing.
• DO NOT buy reproduction weapons to sell with a figure to make them "look complete". Collectors do NOT want reproduction items and your reputation can be ruined for selling them. Do your best to verify the weapon with resources like The Imperial Gunnery. If you can't verify it, mention that in the listing. The more effort you put into knowing the product, the more trust you will earn from the buyers!
• DO NOT post a figure with a vintage accessory that does not go with it and claim that's it's "100% original". Even if the accessory is an original, if it doesn't go to the figure - no one wants to buy it that way. You are better off listing the accessory separately.
• Avoid using the phrase "No Repro" in the listing to try to indicate that it's all original. Many serious collectors have advanced searches that they use, and frequently block "repro" in the search. So, even though you have a "no" in there, you may be losing some of your audience. Instead, use phrases like "100% original" or "complete and all original vintage accessories".
• Do NOT post fuzzy or out of focus pictures. Buyers will likely think that you either don't know what you are doing, or that you are trying to hide something about the figure.
• You do not need fancy cameras to take good pictures for your posting. An older cell phone can often take perfect photos. If you are having trouble getting a clear shot, consider getting or making a simple mount for your phone. This will hold it steady for you while you make sure it gets in focus.