Model kit produced by fans at home in small quantities.

Term loosely applied to amateur or semiprofessional model kits, usually created in someone's spare time. Most garage kits are cast resin. Garage kits can vary widely in quality, but many are superior works, equal in quality, artistry and workmanship to those produced by professional kit companies. Some garage kit sculptors are commissioned by pro kit companies to create designs. Garage kits are frequently limited to a certain number of copies, which adds to their appeal to collectors.

A plastic model kit of an anime character that is constructed by hand with glue, customized, and hand painted. Most garage kits are representations of popular anime characters, though mecha are also to be found. In Japan there are several excellent magazines devoted to garage kit models REPLICANT (devoted mostly to characters), and HOBBY JAPAN (devoted mostly to mecha) being two such magazines. There are even large scale garage kit conventions that attract thousands of people. Wonder Fest, or WON-FES is a garage kit market held twice a year at Toyko's Big Sight Convention Center. At WON-FES one can see displays of the very latest anime character or mecha models constructed by fans. But kits are also available for purchase... either fully constructed and painted, or as kits to be built and finished by the buyer.