A Price Analysis of High Grade Gunpla model kits

Welcome to our new blog series! In this series of blogs, we will conduct a deep dive into the pricing of Gunpla model kits. In this first part, we look at the High Grade line of Gunpla model kits. This analysis is based on a total of 585 offerings of High Grade model kits from a variety of vendors, covering 388 distinct Gundams. Let us look at some interesting things we found.

First, we have looked at the average price of a High Grade model kit. This turned out to be $23.66. However, this requires some nuance. The median price, which is the exact middle value when we sort the prices, is $20.99. And what we call the mode, which is the price that occurs most often, comes in slightly lower at $19.99. As a result, the latter two prices are better indications of the price of typical High Grade Gunpla. For those wondering why the average price is a few dollars higher, this is due to so-called outliers, where a small number of High Grade kits cost a lot more than the typical Gunpla model.

Which brings us to our next finding: there are significant differences in the average prices depending on the Gundam series. The most expensive series when it comes to High Grade kits is Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway. Although Hathaway features a limited number of model kits, they have an average price of over $111. Other series with high average prices include Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (almost $41) and Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (slightly over $38). For those looking for a bargain: the kits of Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, and Mobile Suit Gundam AGE typically cost less than those of other series.

Triggered by how little model kits were available for Hathaway, we also took a closer look at the number of model kits that each series has to offer. The Iron-Blooded Orphans series has the most options available, with 40 High Grade kits available for sale. The second place in this regard goes to Build Divers, with 29 different model kits. In third comes the OG Mobile Suit Gundam series, with 28 Gunpla models to choose from. Unfortunately for those who prefer other series, we also have to note that the average number of kits per series comes in a lot lower at 11 distinct models. Fans of Cucuruz Doan’s Island, Crossbone Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam F91 have been especially unlucky in this regard, with only one or two High Grade kits being released thus far.

Given the price comparison nature of our website, we have also revisited the differences between the average price of a High Grade kit and the prices of individual vendors. It turns out that the average price difference between the lowest and most expensive vendor is slightly under $4. This implies that for a typical High Grade model kit (which costs $20.99), the lowest price will be about $19, with the highest price being about $23. In practice, this means that comparing vendors will result in an average cost saving of almost 10% (!).

And with that we wrap up our first edition of this new blog series. We hope you have learnt some new interesting Gunpla facts and be sure to visit our website frequently to profit from that 10% cost saving rate. Until the next edition!