Character and mecha
Original robots, film and TV characters
- Scale
- Often no stated scale
- Building
- Some need assembly only, no painting
- Makers
- Kotobukiya, Good Smile Company, Bandai
Bandai's Gundam models (Gunpla) will get their own topic later.
Plastic Model Kits
Photo: Gravis, CC BY-SA 4.0Plastic model kits: a beginner's guide
Two main lines
They work quite differently, and this is where beginners most often buy the wrong thing.
Scale models
Reduced copies of real aircraft, vehicles and ships
- Scale
- Fixed, such as 1/72
- Building
- Snap-fit and cement; advanced kits need paint
- Makers
- Tamiya, Hasegawa, Revell, Airfix
Tamiya sorts its range into cars, motorcycles, military, aircraft, ships and dinosaurs.
Which one to start with
The two lines overlap: scale-model makers have no-cement entry kits too, such as Tamiya Clic Loc, Revell click system and Airfix Quickbuild. If you want something to display as soon as it's built, start with one of those snap-fit kits. If you want to build up your skills slowly, start with an entry-level scale kit. Either way, buy a pair of nippers.
Scales at a glance
The same Yamato built at 1/700 and at 1/350: how long each finished model is.
1/700 · finished length 375 mm
1/350 · finished length 751.5 mm
Gunpla's PG, MG, RG and HG are Bandai's own grades. Scale is part of each grade's spec, so they don't work like aircraft or tank scales, which are measured against a real original.
Learning path
Read in this order. Later articles build on what the earlier ones explain.
Published
Getting started
Plastic model kits for beginners: snap-fit or cement, and the tools you need
Published
Scales and grades
Model kit scales explained: what 1/35, 1/48, 1/72 and 1/700 mean
Published
Brands and series
Plastic model kit brands: what the Japanese, European and Chinese makers produce
Published
Buying and authenticity
Buying plastic model kits from Japan and Europe: where to buy, limited editions and reissues
Published
Buying and authenticity
How to read a model kit box and instructions: Japanese and European markings
Published
Buying and authenticity
Fake and reissued model kits: what makers say, what hobbyists report, how to check used kits
Terms to know when searching
Japanese and European shops list kits in their own language.
Know what you want?
Once you've picked a kit, post what you're after on hobbeex and we'll find it, price it and bid for it on the Japanese and German second-hand markets.
Sources are listed in each guide.