Last night, I was taking a quick look at the GunPla catalog for 2010. There's hundreds of different kits! Perfect Grade (PG), Master Grade (MG), High Grade (HG), 1/100. 1/144, 1/60, Titanium finish, Clear parts........ and I'm not including the Super Deformed (SD) models. There's a model for every fan. Every one got their own favorite model. Some are a pleasure to build, others are challenging and even some (I own one of those) were a plain pain in the butt to build...
GunPla have been part of the hobby culture for 31 years now. BANDAI was celebrating the 30th anniversary last year with the giant RX-78-2 in Tokyo. So, this article is for you, the Gundam fan that looks into the GunPla hobby and thinks : "Damn, that looks so cool!"
When I first got into GunPla, I was mainly ordering my kits from online shop or even through Amazon. I still have a bunch of friends in Quebec ordering their kits from Amazon or eBay. I agree, they may not be as hooked as I am into the whole thing, but it's still a viable option if you're looking for cheap kits. Be aware now, you might not be able to get the best price out of those. Sometime, some online shop make their profits with their ridiculous shipping cost. Trust me about that. I've ordered 2 kits online, and I would have saved close to 20-25$ per kits! But it was all part of my learning curve. And I also dearly enjoy FREEDOM with it wings spread in my office. I'm not saying to not order GunPla from online stores, but be simply aware, and if you do, do a huge order with some friends. You'll save on shipping cost!
I'm lucky enough to have the folks at BIG PFEIFFER ordering GunPla on a regular basis. Some of them are specific orders I'm placing, but they do know what kits look great, and I think I might grab the white Zaku II from Stardust Memory 0083 this weekend! I'd think I have room for it on the top of one of my bookshelves. If you're in Halifax or Dartmouth or even in Nova Scotia and you're thinking about starting, go see them. Usually I stop by early Saturday morning, chat a bit, grab a kit then leave for the rest of my Saturday morning stuff (Homemade Waffles at the Farmer's Market FTW).
What could be the best model for you? Well, BANDAI is producing 80% (if not more) of the suits you can see in the animes, the mangas, the photo novels or even just concepts coming from games. Best example? Shin Musha Gundam that you can see in one of the previous post, was originally only present in a video game! So, you're a beginner..Have you ever build models or miniatures? Yes? You might be able to shoot for a MG right from the beginning! If not, I suggest that you try first with a HG 1/144. It will get you used to the instructions, the whole concept behind the GunPla. I still buy some 1/144 models from time to time, since some models are only released that way! Remember that the GunPla are not toys. They are models. I don't suggest you to play with it like it's a child toy. BANDAI is producing action figure if it's what you're looking for. I like to believe that the first Gundam kit everybody build is one that caught their eye in one of the series. For me, it was a variation of the Zeta Gundam (MSZ-006A1 Zeta Plus A1 Amuro Ray's Colors) since I was waiting for multiples kits from online store. That one thing I don't like from online shopping. The wait. When I buy a kit, I like to open the box, take a look at the instructions then usually they end up on my TO DO stack. Lately, this stack is quite low, since I've been busy with multiple projects, but Gundam Unit 3 (RX-78GP03S Gundam Dendrobium Stamen) is the last one. But I'll probably fix that this weekend!
Please, enjoy your GunPla responsibly!
The Social Geek.
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