Hi there. I have a Gunpla Backlog problem.
Sitting above my workbench, right now, are 21 unbuilt model kits (with two more on the way in the mail). I would say that it is the largest it’s ever been, and it wouldn’t be a lie, but at this point it also doesn’t mean much. It’s been slowly growing for roughly a year. Next month, it could very well grow again. Or shrink. Or stay the same. Let’s just say it’s big.
At least, it’s big to me. For most of my time in this hobby, I never came close to having a backlog. I bought one or two kits at a time, built them immediately, and then took a long break for months or even years. During this time I didn’t think of, nor seek out new models. Everything about the process of finding and building was planned and deliberate.
So for me, a backlog of over a dozen unbuilt kits feels like a mountain. And yet I know that compared to other builders, my “collection” is practically nonexistent. I’ve seen photos from other builders, in which every corner of a room is stacked high with models still in their shrinkwrap. People who have enough personal “inventory” that they could, if they wanted to, sell them all off by creating a popup hobby store.
All of this got me wondering - why do Gunpla fans wind up with backlogs? What are the causes and triggers and factors? In this post, I’d like to present my thoughts and theories. Fair warning - this is going to get messy and meandering.
Part 1 - Why Do Backlogs Grow in the First Place?
People Like to Collect
People, especially geeks, like to collect things. That alone probably drives a lot of model kit purchases. This is especially true considering that there are complete sets of models from certain series. For example, if you want all of the suits that show up in War in the Pocket, you can get them (at least in theory. You still have to find them).
Building is Addictive
People often describe Gunpla as being addictive, though when they say that, they mainly mean that the building process is addictive. In fact, some people enjoy building so much that they buy kits just because it gives them an excuse to build again, regardless of whether or not they like the mobile suit in question.
Inconsistent Availability
This is a big one. Bandai reprints old models constantly, but there’s no telling when a given kit will come back in stock. If there is something you like, and it’s available, you might want to get it now while the getting is good. That way it’s there and ready when you finally have time to build it.
Of course, until that time comes, it will sit on your ever growing backlog. And in the meantime, if more kits on your wish list come in stock, you’ll buy those too, and so on and so forth until you have a mountain of kits.
Supporting Brick and Mortar
This is an entirely personal reason, but any time I find Gunpla in a physical store, I try to buy some to show my support. With a store like Barnes and Noble, this is not a problem, since they don’t carry all that many models in the first place1. But Target has had a steady stream of new inventory for over a year now, and that alone has contributed significantly to my own backlog.
Broadening your Horizons
When I first started in this hobby, I only knew of a few places that sold Gunpla, and this put a natural limit on how many I could buy. Over time, I discovered more and more stores (both online and in person), which gave me access to more and more inventory (not to mention much better prices).
When I first started, I could only buy Gunpla when I went to the Japan Pavilion in Epcot, or if I found one on Amazon. Now I can find something new worth buying almost every single month, just by browsing a few websites.
Saving on Shipping Costs
When you buy online, you can save on shipping by buying multiple kits. This is something a lot of builders do, and when any given shopping trip is going to net 3 or more new kits, your backlog will inevitably grow.
The Cases Against Backlogs
So now we know why backlogs grow, but these reasons are not necessarily good. Indeed, here are the arguments against having a backlog at all:
Environmental Impact
This is a tough one to come to terms with, but plastic models are not exactly good for the planet. We already have too much plastic waste, and every single model contributes even more. Bandai has taken steps recently to fight this, but they are not easy (or international).
The logic here is similar to reducing meat consumption - the less demand we put on the system, the less gets created, and the less waste is generated.
You (probably) Aren’t Going to Get Around to It
This is an argument that I’m previously familiar with from the world of video games. If you find yourself buying a model (or a game) on the basis that “I’ll get around to it one day, when I have more free time”, you’re probably fooling yourself.
That day when you have more free time may never come, and even if it does, it could be decades from now when you’ve retired. Are you really going to hold on to stacks and stacks of models until you are in your 60’s? Will you take them from house to house? Will they deteriorate by then? Are you still even going to be interested in the hobby by then?
In other words, you should only buy something that you have the time for now. And if it turns out you don’t have time in the present, that’s a good argument against buying it.
We Should Avoid Mindless Consumerism
This might sound like scolding, but I promise it isn’t. I am guilty of all of these negative behaviors as well.
We’ve all been conditioned by very powerful marketing forces into becoming varying degrees of mindless consumers. We buy/watch/play/engage with entertainment products as if they’re junk food, never stopping to really engage with them on any meaningful level. It’s something most of us do, but even when you recognize it, it can be hard to break the habit.
But there’s an argument to be made that it’s at least worth trying. In the case of Gunpla, the argument would be something like -
”Do you REALLY need to buy these models? One is of a mobile suit you’ve ever cared about. The other is from a show you’ve never seen! How much joy are you really going to get out of them?“
In other words, buy it because you care about it, not because it’s another thing to build.
It will Probably Come Back in Stock Soon Enough
Unless it’s super rare or obscure, this probably isn’t your last chance to grab it. So just wait.
What Does this Say About Capitalism?
In regards to Bandai themselves, I don’t think there is much we can infer here. The fact that they continue to try and reprint kits that are over twenty years old is the opposite of what you’d expect from a modern purveyor of Geeky Merch. If they were like Lego, or Limited Run Games, then you’d get one, maybe two shots at any release, and that’s that2.
On another note, I don’t think Bandai intentionally makes the process of building a Gunpla addictive (unless you want to argue that the ease of assembly makes them addictive, but you’d have to be a jerk to insist that models go back to colorless, glue-only affairs).
Any Other Considerations?
The Nature of Hobbies
When we find a hobby that we really like, we tend to make it a consistent part of our free time. A film buff is not going to watch one or two films a year, and a hiker isn’t going to conquer a single trail or mountain. They’re going to want to keep engaging in the hobby, hopefully for years.
However, I also assert that Gunpla is a hobby built around a fairly restricted supply (at least in certain parts of the world). I think there is a genuine fear among builders that if one were to only buy kits on demand, as needed, that there may come a day where one can’t find any kits worth building.
So when you want to treat something like a hobby (meaning you devote consistent time to it), but the source of that hobby is something that is supplied inconsistently, it is, arguably, only natural for backlogs to cumulate, to keep the supply steady.
Issues of Space
There’s something else unique about Gunpla as a hobby - it’s an activity that generates an object, and we only have a finite amount of space for objects.
In other words, unless you intend to throw away or give away models, sooner or later you’re going to have to stop. This, I think, is something of an argument against backlogs. Rather than building up a reserve of kits, you should space them out so that you don’t run out of room in just a few short years.
Am I going to Pare Down My Own Backlog?
I’d like to, but so far I haven’t succeeded.
Obviously I can and should stop buying new models. At best I’ve managed to at least slow down. It helps that it doesn’t look like Bandai has all that much scheduled for mass release, likely due to the pandemic. That gives me some breathing room.
I also have to stop myself from buying reprints of older kits. That too has become easier as of late - it seems that Bandai has recently focused on reprinting a bunch of really old stuff from the 90’s that I’m just not interested in.
If this current situation holds, and I can increase my build pace (by knocking out two, or even three kits a month instead of just one), I might be able to put a major dent in the backlog, if not get through it all by summertime. I’ll have to wait and see if that prediction comes true.