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RX-78-2 Revive

RX_78_2_Revive_1

Introduction

Anyone who has been around the Gundam / Gunpla world is more than likely going to have come across the RX-78-2 models. For anyone coming late to the party the RX-78-2 was the Gundam piloted by Amuro in the original series. It is the poster boy of the franchise and has had many iterations and releases.

Attainability

Arguably none as attainable as the RX-78-2 Revive. For only £12.99 (you can get it here) this HG model is both affordable and is great fun to build. Not only that but is ripe for customisation, and at that price you don’t mind experimenting!

The RX-78-2 Revive looks like this:

RX_78_2_Revive_1
RX_78_2 Revive

In my case mine currently looks more like this:

As you can see I’m doing an attempt at an undercoat and paint on this. I have also wired up an LED in his helmet, and made space/holes down the inside of the suit to get the wires down to his feet. There was, I have to admit, a fair amount of butchery had to go on. However, a lot of this was a learning curve. I really want to get another once this one is done and do it totally differently.

Conclusion

If you don’t have one in your collection I really would recommend one. The Revive version is a really enjoyable build. At the end you have an iconic looking model, that has a timeless look and feel. I think when I look at this model I see the groundwork being laid for many of the suits / designs that have followed it. They may have more details, but the feel and general layout of items is often very similar.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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Company Culture Building the Base

RG_GOD_6

Introduction

Company Culture Building the Base is about the core fundamentals of a business, what I see them as, and what I see as important. It is also about how I see that growing, and why it is important.

What is the base?

When I think of the base, I’m thinking of you, the customer. I started the company with set ideals, and set ideas, and I want to stay true to them. I am, and will always be an avid gamer, RPG player/writer, and modeller. Being able to get the models I want when I want for a fair price has, at times been a challenge. I want to make sure that I cater to all you modellers out there who want models to build. Good/sound business tactics would tell you to look at the core, ensure you focus everything on a specific demographic. To a degree I get that, but at the same time I refuse to turn my back on anyone. As far as I am concerned modelling as a hobby should be for everyone.

RG_GOD_6
RG God Gundam .. just because it looks cool

How do you reach the customer base?

This one isn’t so easy. The internet is a big place, and people are spread far and wide. I, however, count myself as exceptionally lucky with being a part of a community that existed long before I was into GunPla models. But that is only one way to reach potential customers and make them aware of anything, and everything you have to offer. Predominantly these communities are for discussion and enthusiasts and as such I try very hard to not be overtly “selling myself”. I try and separate my “advert” posts from my normal, genuine interest in the hobby posts. I think of that as just trying to be a good internet citizen.

There are other ways as well. Being a small business my funds, as you would expect, are not the same as a much larger organisation. That leads me to try and focus as much of my resources as possible into the places I can, and to make use of the free offerings. One thing I do is to ensure that I complete the settings for the free google listings, and I also try to ensure that my posts conform to have a good SEO score.

I also have my own “Company” facebook page. I am fortunate, and very grateful for all the people who like and follow my page. It offers me another way to engage with the community. As with other communities I try and limit any “Adverts” to one a week, or new stock. I want people to be able to engage with the topics of the models and the whole scene around it. The anime, the customising, the building, the dioramas. I want people to have a place where I can post interesting articles and hopefully help fellow enthusiasts find new and interesting content.

There are also shows and events. So far I haven’t been able to attend any, but then I’ve only been trading really for 4 or 5 months! The company was formed around June last year but I still had to get stock in etc. I want to attend shows in the future to showcase the models, and to hopefully let people see all those boxes in person! I will be having a look, and a think about the logistics. This stock takes up a lot of room!

So what have I learnt?

I have been on a constant learning curve all the way so far on this journey. Every day teaches me something new. However the thing that keeps me going is you, the community, the people. I am no different to every single one of you out there. Getting my models, building them. Looking for the best way to make them unique and customise them. Taking part in the discussions and seeing the fantastic models people create. The clean builds, the models that have all the decals and panel lining, and the weathered or otherwise customised jobs. It makes all the time and effort worth it. So as far as “Company Culture and Building the Base”, I will keep taking part, enjoying being a part of the community as I look to slowly grow the business. As long as I stay true to my original ideals then that works for me.

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Weekly Shop Roundup 15/01/2023

RG_CHAR_ZGOK_2

Introduction

Weekly Shop Roundup 15/01/2023! Ok I don’t want to “flood” my Page/Socials with adverts for the shop. I want most of the posts to be purely about GunPla and the associated mediums. However, I do also have a shop so to balance it I’m trying to keep my adverts to 1 advert a week…well and when I list things so people know they can go look!

I have had, what I believe we would call, a mixed bag, this week.

The Good

On the one hand I got some absolutely stunning new models in the shop!

The images above are just a small selection of the new models that I have listed on the shop this week! If you haven’t had a look, please do go check it out, there are some super nice models in there! You can get to is easily from here.

The Bad

On the flip side a large chunk of the stock came in with damage to the boxes. I know that a lot of builders and collectors want the box to be in as pristine condition as everything else. I may have to list them on the site, with the relevant warnings, but, in the first instance I want to try and secure buyers through direct contact to ensure they know.

If you are reading this, then at the time of writing I have the following in my possession but not on the site:

The RG Zeta Gundam £31.99 + P&P

RG Freedom £26.99 + P&P

RG Freedom £26.99 + P&P

HG Setsuro £25.99 + P&P

HG Setsuro £25.99 + P&P

HGUC Gundam RX-0 Unic Full Arm Dest Red 1/144 £34.99 + P&P

HGUC Gundam RX-0 Unic Full Arm Dest Red 1/144 £34.99 + P&P

BB Gundam Destiny £9.99 + P&P

BB Gundam Destiny £9.99 + P&P

I took the images above to show the dents on the boxes. If you are interested in any of these please send me a message or an email at [email protected]. Also please feel free to forward this and let your friends know.

The Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

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RG Zeta

RG_ZETA_1

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an RG Zeta. Getting hold of the RG models and the MG models seems really difficult at the moment. However, I am slowly building up my stock of these models.

If you haven’t seen the Zeta it looks like this.

RG_ZETA_1
RG_ZETA_1

I think it looks like a stunning model, and on top of that it transforms! The model has a very distinctive style with minor tweaks / details added to the chest and waist to really make it stand out. Even the design of the legs is similar to feel comfortable, but just different enough to elevate the model to its own level.

The RG Zeta Gundam was released as part of the 10th instalment of the RG series that appeared to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Gunpla. 

Key highlights of this model are:

  • Realistic reproduction of Zeta Gundam’s mechanism.
  • This kit also transforms into the Wave Rider form.
  • New advanced MS joint adoption.
  • Realistic decals included.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

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New Stock Alert 12/01/2023

New Stock

At last, after much chasing and trials and tribulations this finally happened today! New Stock Alert 12/01/2023.

New Stock
New Stock

As you can see the outer boxes look like someone decided that dragging them everywhere was the best mode of transport. However, I am happy to say, that those are packing boxes, and inside those boxes are 3 other big boxes. So, as far as I can tell so far, the inner actual GunPla boxes are ok. I will know more when I finally unpack them (Hopefully today!).

So my current plan / timeline:

Friday 13th Jan 2023 – Unpack and validate everything that I expect in the order is there. This also includes weighing and measuring the box sizes so that I can get them on the site.

Saturday 14th Jan 2023 – Make the listings public on the site.

So you are probably wondering, this is all great and everything but what has he got coming into stock?

Well amongst the items coming in are:

  • PG Gundam Unicorn RX-0 1/60
  • MG 00 Raiser 1/100
  • RG Gundam God
  • RG Z’GOK Char Custom 1/144
  • HGCE Windam
  • HG Gundam Heavyarms

There is also plenty of other stuff coming in but I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you! Head across to https://modelkitsltd.co.uk/shop and have a look what else has come in!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

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HG Gunpla Arms

Labelled Arm Parts

Introduction

In this post I want to highlight the lovely technicalities that Bandai have built into the models. This post specifically I want to focus on looking at the HG GunPla arms … or more specifically my RX-78-2 Revive arm.

Before I go any further I must, I feel, apologise for the state of the arm. I have been doing a lot of testing different things with it. It has been painted, cleaned painted and generally messed with. It looks currently in a slightly sorry state. I will, soon I hope, restore it to a much better condition. When I get chance I will show it off in its restored glory!

The Arm Basics

So this model, and a few others I have built, follow a similar pattern for the arms. This model has a lower section which would serve as the ulna and radius. Then a top section that would be the humerus. The ulna and radius part has two parts clip over it, with the humerus having a piece slide down over it.

In the images above the parts have been colour coded. Firstly the red highlighted part is the humerus. Next is the blue highlighted part which acts as the ulna and radius. Finally is the green highlighted part which is the plate which holds them together. You can see in the next picture the top plate of that is in place holding the main “bones” of the arm together. In the first image the parts labelled 1 shows where the top and bottom part hook over the posts allowing them to pivot.

The following images show the arm being built up, and the level of movement it has once put together.

What do I like?

This design is both robust and flexible. Once put together it allows for a great range of movement bending the arm and thus allowing me to put the model into far more poses. The pieces can break (I did it on the other arm) but that was user headspace error, rather than the parts. There is a load of detail on the parts, but a lot of those details are also functional. It looks like there are grooves and sections, but a lot of them, as well as looking nice, aid in guiding, and holding, the pieces in the right places. The final thing I wanted to mention is the high quality / precision of the pieces. They fit together snugly, helping to hold everything where it should be, and provide a level of stability that looser pieces just couldn’t. All of these small details add up to make the arm a fantastic piece. Both from an engineered point of view, but also from a pure aesthetic point of view.

Conclusion

I am a massive fan of the thought and design that has gone into the HG Gunpla arms. Ultimately the models really shine because of the attention to detail.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

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News roundup 10/01/2023

Aerial

The Witch From Mercury

In case you missed it the 12th episode of The Witch From Mercury aired this Friday. It was, to say the least, absolutely epic. It contained everything, in my opinion, that you could ask for from an episode. I watch the episodes on crunchyroll (https://www.crunchyroll.com/). It is subscription based, but I believe you can still get a free trial. I will be honest, we (me and the kids) watch a fair amount of Anime so I just ponied up for the top tier subscription.

The twitter account also posted up confirming that Season 2 (rumoured to be another 12 episodes) will start airing in April. To say I am excited for this would be an understatement.

HG 1/144 Gundam Aerial (Modified)

Bandai Hobby have announced that the new Aerial HG model here.

Aerial
Aerial

The model is based on the upgraded main suit from the Witch from Mercury. I believe this new model is currently pencilled in for release in March 2023. As with all these things sometimes the dates slip, however, I would imagine it won’t move much as I can imagine Bandai will be keen to get these in peoples hands.

P-Bandai Spartan

Feburary 2023 should see the release of the P-Bandai HG 1/144 GM Spartan. You can find the page information here.

I will admit I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on this is looks like an absolutely amazing model.

HG 1/144 GM Spartan
HG 1/144 GM Spartan

I think there is something exceptional about this model. I wish that we could get P-Bandai stuff in on wholesale in the UK to make them available to you all!

That sums up my brief news roundup from the last week.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

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Anime and Suits

GX-9901-DX GUNDAM DOUBLE X

I love both anime and suits. Now I don’t mean bow tie and top hat and tails. I mean great big mechanical suits. When I was but a wee lad, I remember my best friend writing a story about a kid who found this mechanical suit and being able to do stuff. It was brilliant. I think from then onwards I have found a fascination for them.

In my earlier years I liked the mainstream items, so things from well known games publishers and miniature companies. I am fairly sure if you are reading this then you can guess the main manufacturer. I especially liked models in big over powered armour.

Moving on many years I found myself looking at things like Pacific Rim and thinking, those are absolutely amazing. I actually own two Jaegers.

Bracer and Obsidian
Bracer and Obsidian

As a side note (as I am prone to do) I read a few reviews which placed the Obsidian Fury over the Bracer Phoenix. For me, personally, I prefer the Bracer Phoenix by far. I mean just look at that leaping smashing pose!

But that aside I loved the movies and the TV show. I love watching the characters develop, and the massive over sized robots smacking each other around (the fight scenes are normally epic). But then I love being able to build the model. See it take shape piece by piece, and in having the option to add details to them. Then I love the option to customise the models.

After being mildly obsessed with the Jaegers in Pacific Rim I got my first Gundam models. While searching the web I found a model I loved the look of (the RG Freedom). I then did some more searching and in some areas people suggested doing a HG first. So like any good modeller I logged on and bought another model … I mean I had to!

GX-9901-DX GUNDAM DOUBLE X
GX-9901-DX GUNDAM DOUBLE X

The Double X (above) was an absolute joy to build. There are nub marks and loads of things I would do differently. But I love that model as the first one I ever built.

So why do I love the suits. The different styles, the unique layouts, the armaments are the first items. I love the unique way they are portrayed and the variations available. On the HeavyArms MG kit I love the fact you can pop open the cockpit in the chest and view the pilot. I guess there is still also that inner child in me who loves the idea of piloting such an amazing machine.

So in summary, I love anime for bringing these suits to more popular awareness, and spreading the love. I love the suits for their pure stature. The fun you can have building them, customising them and generally modelling them. Last night before going to bed I put the Double X in the pose above ready for the day Monday. So when I came down I could get to watch him fly 🙂

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

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Small Business Frustrations

Tired man

Ok let me just preface this with the fact I don’t want this to be a whiny oh poor me post. It is not about that. This is more a lessons learnt.

I said in an earlier post that I originally didn’t understand why people would setup business after business after business. After just a few months I already had a better understanding of why that was. After a few more months I think I stand behind my newer view. That is that when you setup a business you learn so much, you discover things you just would never have thought of, and find innovative ways to deal with these hurdles. That means that as you setup the next business you already have a wealth of knowledge to pull on and pitfalls to avoid. Each business you have a bigger wealth of knowledge to pull on. Hopefully each iteration you apply the lessons you learnt and things improve.

So what are my frustrations?

Stock

First on the list I think has to be stock. I naïvely thought that the issue with lack of stock was purely a lack of focus. However other issues (like the pre-order stuff I wrote about here) and breadth of stock also play a focus. To get consistent sales across the months requires having ALL the right items in at the right time at the right price point. With there being literally thousands of different models just in the GunPla range alone that is always going to be a tall order.

This also feeds into the Catch 22 situation below. However, I have always planned on this being a multi-year endeavour to bring the company up to speed. I always expected things to be slow, so I just need to stick to my plan and keep working on growing.

Catch 22

We (retailers in the UK) also find ourselves in a catch 22 solution. Individuals can import a product directly from Japan and so place their orders there. There will be two reasons for this. Price and availability. Of them I believe availability is the real big issue. With Japan having a far more consistent supply of models than the UK it is often easier for people to purchase from Japan. This means there are less sales in the UK leading to a lower “UK” demand, this leads into less models coming in. In essence it becomes a catch 22. Retailers need customers to buy from them, but the customers can’t find what they are looking for.

Price, although I don’t think this is as high an issue, it is still an issue. Looking at the costs of everything you can understand why. For example an individual importing a model or two or three or five, is likely to avoid any taxation. Retailers do not have that luxury, you are going to be adding 20% on for VAT no matter which way you turn it. When you break down all the costs, and the fact that retailers end up having to sit on a large stockpile of stock, it makes it more challenging when losing out sales to overseas.

Note none of that is the customers fault, or problem. I expect people to buy the models they want, from where they can get it from. One of the corner stones of the business is to provide more access to more models in the UK. I want to help ease that supply issue, and hopefully give people more of a reason to purchase from the UK again.

Storage

I know I have written about this before. I totally underestimated the space I required for storage. It has forced me to come up with ideas for storage. This led to a lot of investigations and research into storage options. This investigative work is exactly what feeds into that pool of knowledge moving forwards.

Shipping

This is a more recent issue that I have found. My most current shipment should have been with me on the 30th of December. I have items that I know people want, but I can’t fulfil that yet as I am literally waiting on the boxes to be released. I paid the duty/tax import feels within an hour of receiving the email letting me know they were due. Issues like this are outside of our control. For a smaller business watching people sell products you know you have sitting in a warehouse somewhere but unable to reach, is exceptionally disheartening. I could list them on the site now, but that goes against my more ethos of being able to put my hand on it and post is out as soon as possible so that isn’t something I feel I can do.

For this all I can do is accept that this happens. I have no real control over the shipping company used by the supplier. Or rather I can use their supplier for free, or I can pay for my own which would obviously raise the overheads and ultimately what the models would have to be sold for.

Finances

I will be honest. I always knew this would be a tricky thing. Reading all the information the VAT side of things was fairly clear. However, when it comes to corporation tax, and filing etc. I have literally no idea. Even after reading as much as I can I was still left with lots of questions. This is less a frustration and more a lesson learnt.

Rather than risk getting things wrong I have erred on the side of caution. I have signed up to get the accounts professionally done and filed. This, I think, should probably be on everyone’s list. If you create a LTD company then definitely consider commissioning an accountancy company to help with this side of things.

Conclusion

There will, in all business, be challenges, and unforeseen hurdles. However, all we can do is address them one at a time when they occur. I think I would like to finish on a high note though. The thing that keeps me going are the people, the community, and the support. The people I am meeting, the conversations, the support, are second to none. The Gundam/Gunpla modellers are, without a shadow of a doubt, some of the most helpful and interesting people I have ever had the privilege to engage with. So I am, and always will be, grateful for that.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

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Model Kits Ltd

SILVER_BULLET_1

As you all know, hopefully, this has been an exciting, and frustrating week for me so far.

On one hand my first order of items from GUNPRIMER arrived. All their items look absolutely stunning. The Starter Set (which you can find here), BALANCERS (which you can find here and here), and the RASER PLUS (available here). If you haven’t seen their products or site have a look, you can find it here.

GUNPRIMER_GateRemoverSet
GUNPRIMER_GateRemoverSet

I did a whole post on them when I got them listed on the site which if you want you can read here. Suffice to say I was super happy to get these in and listed on the site. Hopefully you will all find them as awesome as I do!

Now, on the other hand, I am still waiting on my delivery of stock. So far I have been provided dates from the 30th December, 3rd of Jan, 4th of Jan, 5th of Jan, 6th of Jan, and currently it is showing as the 9th of Jan. I am, I admit, very frustrated with this. There are some awesome items in there which I am super excited to get in.

However, all of that is outside of my control! So in the meantime, while we wait for that to arrive. Why don’t you have a look at the shop (here). As well as the GUNPRIMER stuff added this week, there are already some awesome models on there. Why not treat yourself to 1 .. or 2 … or 3 🙂

SILVER_BULLET_1
SILVER_BULLET_1

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla