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Welcome to the Gunpla community on Lemmy! This is the place where we fuel our plastic addiction enjoy our mecha modeling hobby and tell ourselves that getting one more kit for the backlog will be fine.
TL;DR - Gunpla is easy to get into, and can be a very fun and satisfying hobby. If you want a simple kit to start, look for an Entry Grade (no tools required) or High Grade (nippers required). If you see a kit that looks cool, go for it, as none of them are that difficult.
Gunpla is a portmanteau of Gundam and plastic, and technically refers to official Gundam model kits produced by Bandai, but is sometimes used to refer to any mecha model kit (also referred to as plamo, plastic model). From here on out, when I say Gunpla, I will be referring to Bandai’s official Gundam model kits. Pieces for kits come connected to plastic frames, called runners (or sprue, depending on which modeling community you look at) and must be cut out in order to build the model. Gunpla differentiates itself from other types of models (cars, ships, military, etc) by being highly articulate and having a low barrier of entry, since nearly all Gunpla kits only require means to cut the pieces from their runners, most comonly done so with model nippers, sometimes referred to as side cutters. You can of course use other methods to process the pieces and customize as you build the model (sanding, filing, painting, etc), but none of that is required to build a fully articulate, (mostly) color accurate model right out of the box.
Sound cool? Not sure where to start? Read on!
Gunpla kits come in a variety of scales and grades. The cost of kits can vary greatly even within a certain grade, but generally, as far as this list goes, the lower ones will cost more than the higher ones. The most common scales and grades are listed here:
1/144 scale - roughly 5.5"/14cm tall
1/100 scale - roughly 8"/20cm tall
1/60 scale - roughly 12"/30cm tall
Entry Grade - 1/144 scale - This line is designed for beginners. The kits are relatively simple to build, inexpensive, and have little to no color-correcting stickers. They also don’t require any tools, as the pieces on the runners are designed to be popped off with your fingers.
Super Deformed “SD” - non-scale - This line of kits are simple to build, and the models are “chibi”, where they have a short stature with short limbs and a large head. Like Entry Grade kits, they don’t require any tools to build.
High Grade “HG” - 1/144 scale - This line is on the simpler side of complexity, and the kits are designed to resemble their anime counterparts. This is by far the largest line.
Real Grade “RG” - 1/144 scale - This line is more complex than the previous lines and contain more “gimmicks” (things like opening hatches, moving pistons, etc). Their design is very intricate, and they are modeled after what they would look like if they were actually real (or are real, as there are some 1:1 statues of Gundams in Japan, China, and other places). Because of their size and amount of detail, many have very small pieces.
Master Grade “MG” - 1/100 scale - This line is typically more complex than RG kits, and usually offer more detail and gimmicks since they are larger. Some of the older MG kits make use of screws (included), so a screwdriver would be needed in addition to nippers.
Perfect Grade “PG” - 1/60 scale - This is the largest scale, offering more detail and gimmicks than most MG kits. Some of these kits come with LEDs to install, and others have a LED kit sold separately. Some of the older PG kits also make use of screws (included).
The vast majority of Gunpla kits are produced in Japan with Japanese builders in mind, so the instruction booklets are in Japanese. In the past 7-8 years or so, they have also been printing notes in English, as well. Regardless of the languages you can or can’t read, the steps in the instructions are clear and easy to follow, and make use of symbols to dictate what you are meant to do in a given step. Examples of this would be “attach this piece first”, “do this to both sides”, or “pay close attention here”. A translation app on your phone, like Google Lens can also be helpful if you get stuck.
Where to get Gunpla:
Disclaimer - I am in the USA, so my knowledge is mostly limited to what’s available here. That said, everything I list here is somewhere I have ordered from and can vouch for their legitimacy.
- Your local hobby shop. Check what’s around in your area and see what they offer. Buying local is good :). You also may get lucky if you have anime or other similar specialty stores in your area.
- https://mechawarehouse.com/
- https://www.gundampros.shop/
- https://www.usagundamstore.com/
- https://galactictoys.com/
- https://leapingpandahobbies.com/
- https://www.gundamplanet.com/
- https://newtype.us/
- https://trinityhobby.com/ - based in Canada
- https://www.hlj.com/ - based in Japan, so prices are typically less expensive than what can be found in the west. That said, shipping is extremely expensive. This could still be an option depending on where you are located if you are out of alternatives. Link to their shipping methods and countries: https://www.hlj.com/shipping-from-hobbylink-japan/
- https://www.suruga-ya.com/en - This is a second-hand chain of stores based in Japan. They ship to many countries (https://www.suruga-ya.com/en/feature/delivery_area/index.html) and offer free shipping regularly, starting at Saturday 10AM and ending Thursday 6PM JST. The site is machine translated, so browsing and searching has a learning curve. This link will get you to the Gunpla section: https://www.suruga-ya.com/en/category/50104?genre=Gundam. The vast majority of the kits are labeled as “used”, but don’t worry, the runners are inspected and should come in like-new condition in their bags. I have placed many orders and have yet to have an issue with missing pieces or already-built kits. Also, if you are ordering internationally, I advise using Paypal for your first order, to avoid your order being flagged for fraud. Subsequent orders are fine with other payment methods.
- https://www.amazon.com/ - I’m sure everyone knows this one. Gunpla is sold here, but beware of how much you are spending, as prices can be inflated. I have ordered several kits from various sellers and haven’t had any issues, but I know a couple others who have. Standard Amazon BS. If you want to order a kit here, I advise checking the price against other sources to avoid overpaying.
- https://www.hobbylobby.com/ - I know a lot of people don't like this company, but I feel it’s worth mentioning anyways. Their kits are marked up over standard retail price, but they run a 40% off sale every other week. This takes the price down to roughly 25-30% off retail. Check their Weekly Ad section on their site to see if they are running the sale on a given week. I strongly advise against ordering online, as you are NOT guaranteed to receive the exact kit you ordered. Check their retail stores instead.
/r/Gunpla on Reddit has a much more comprehensive list of shops if my list doesn’t cover you: https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunpla/wiki/shopping/
Once you find potential sources of Gunpla, I advise getting on their mailing lists, as the majority that I have dealt with run sales and other promotions at least semi-frequently, especially around holidays.
This should be enough information to get you started. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here or in the pinned weekly discussion thread. Have fun!
