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.
I blacked out the boxes because I think there are a couple of surprises in the stack
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.