What To Do with Old Gundam Models?

I understand what collecting Gundam models can feel like. It could have started with thinking you’ll buy one for display, then suddenly, you already have a lot of models that you don’t know what to do since you don’t have enough space to store them. Furthermore, these models tend to get a lot of space and should always have enough space between models to prevent damage. After building Gundam models, you can do many things with them, and we will explore all of these in this post.

You can do many things with old Gundam Models, such as selling them to various marketplaces, donating them to charity, using them as displays, giving them to friends, starting Gunpla photography, and practicing your modeling skills.

This blog post will discuss each of the options above in greater detail. We will also introduce Gundam selling, donating, photography, and even recycling. Let’s start.

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What do you do with old Gunpla?

Most of us could agree that we bought our first model maybe because we just wanted to try the hobby or have a display in our home.

Months along the line, we suddenly notice that we have a lot of Gundam models lying around without any space for storage.

The problem here is that Gundams require some space since any movements can damage their joints which people use to check the model’s condition.

This is also why many listings of Gundam models specify how intact their joints are.

With many models lying around your place, you might think of things you can do to get the most out of your completed models.

This post will explore 6 things you can do to your Gunpla models.

1. Sell Gunpla Models to Marketplaces

Perhaps, the most common thing people think of when disposing of their models is to sell them to various marketplaces.

The sad thing is that Gundam models lose about 50% of their value once built. Thus, your $50 Gundam model would only be sold for about $25 once built.

However, this is still a great option if you’re short of cash.

Furthermore, people who are good at customizing Gundam models tend to sell their completed models at a premium price.

Those who are good at customizing, such as painting, polishing, and designing their models, can sell them at a higher price than how much they bought the model.

However, generally speaking, if you want your models to increase in price, keep them in the box and wait until the model is already phased-out.

By doing so, more and more people would want to get your kit since they can’t buy it in stores.

That is an easy way to get more money on your kits.

But selling built kits at a premium price is a different story.

The good news is that selling Gundam models is much easier than before.

There are lots of different marketplaces you can try to sell your models.

The most popular among which is eBay, where you list your model on an auction.

I remember in 2022 when there was a Built Gundam RX-78-2 which was also perfectly customized with paint and decals. Since the model is quite rare, was well maintained, and has a great design, it was sold for about $1,850.

You may visit eBay by clicking this link.

But eBay isn’t the only option for selling your models.

You could also try other marketplaces such as Facebook. If you have a vintage model, you could try Vintage Cash Cow.

Warwick and Warwick is also a great choice.

If you need a guide on these marketplaces, I made a guide on dealing with them. While the post is about train models, the method of selling these models is the same. Here is the link: Where to Buy and Sell Models?

2. Donate Gundam Models to Charity

If selling isn’t your thing, donating to charity is another option.

While you wouldn’t get cash from giving your models to charity, it can make some children smile as they receive some toys you’ve built.

Although I get it that as a Gundam collector, you don’t consider your collection as toys. However, they are things children can play with.

I know how important your collection is, and you wouldn’t want it to break since you will be giving them as toys.

However, imagine the children who would receive Gundam models and how happy they would feel as they see the robots they see on TV in their hands.

Who knows? Maybe your good acts would inspire these children to be Gunpla modelers in the future.

If not, at least you made them happy with their new toy.

You can donate your Gundam models to many non-profit organizations such as Toys for Tots, Ronald McDonald House, Public Schools, and Daycare Centers.

3. Use Gunpla models as a Display

If you really want to keep your old models, why not get a new space for them?

Since you already display your Gunpla models, you can show them in your living room and your gaming or bedroom.

Furthermore, how about having one in your office?

Displaying Gundam models is easy since you only need to have some shelves. If you don’t want your models to be filled with dust, you can use a large transparent model display case.

I’ve also gone to a coffee shop where they have some Gundam model displays which added uniqueness to their store.

Here is my photo with some Gundam Displays. (Yes, those are HGUC Neo Zeong.)

4. Start Gunpla Photography

If you want to upgrade your Gundam modeling, why not try Gundam Photography?

There are many online communities where you can share and improve your Gundam photography, such as Reddit and Facebook.

In Gundam photography, you would start learning about things such as Shutter, F-stop, etc.

Furthermore, expect to get a lot of likes if you have an excellent photo.

You could also sell these photos on numerous sites such as Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Foap, and Alamy.

Recommended Read: If you need a guide on how to take pictures of your models, I made a guide with a video tutorial here: How to take pictures of models?

While I used model cars in the photo tutorial, the concepts also apply to Gundam models. I also gave a simple editing hack to boost the quality of your photo in that post.

5. Give Gundam Models to Friends

If you don’t want to give your models to charity, especially to people you don’t know, why not give them to your friends?

For example, some of your friends would like an additional display in their living room.

The great thing here is that you can visit your model every time you come to their home.

Of course, I also know how hard it is to give these models to your friends since most of our friends are interested in Gundam models.

But it’s still worth a try, and they might even appreciate your efforts to give them something you’ve built.

6. Use Old Models as Practice for Newer Models

I said earlier that people who are good at customizing their models could sell their built models for a premium price.

The problem is that you can’t be good at customizing without practicing.

Thus, you can start learning how to customize your models by practicing on your old models.

That way, you can get more experience if you want to build new models.

The more you practice, the better you will become. This rule applies to all, including Gundam models.

Try multiple color combinations. Experiment on the things you can try to shine and polish these models.

Learn how to properly sand to get smooth finishes.

There are many things to try in the hobby, making Gunpla building fun.

As you can see, you can do lots of things with your old Gundam models. However, you might also notice I didn’t include recycling in this list. That’s on purpose, and if you want to know why, please check the recommended post below.

What’s next? Some people recommend giving the built models to recycling centers, but I don’t recommend doing that to perfectly fine models. The only thing you have to give to recycling centers are the sprues that have no use. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that plastic recycling isn’t efficient. To find out more, check this post: Are Gundam Models Ecofriendly?