“Does anyone care if 3d printed models are original anymore?” was the slightly soured question I asked myself as I sat in some hot (borrowed) tent on blacktop, slowly recovering from asthmatic bronchitis, dazed, grumpy… Luckily, I found the answer to said question to be: Yes.
And if the answer is no? That person (probably) simply doesn’t understand.
Oftentimes, older folks peek at a table and think if it was made in your home, that you made it made it. In our experience, it just takes a bit of chit-chatting for them to understand the gravity of it.
Another time, someone came to our table and rudely announced they would just ‘print one at home’. It was a custom-designed hot-chocolate cup (storage inside) with mini marshmallows. While we couldn’t get them to stay long enough to understand that they couldn’t just click-n-print it off Makerworld….We still ended up having a really nice exchange at the con that made me say, ‘Yes, they do care.”
https://littleeccentricities.etsy.com/listing/4347021108/hot-chocolate-figurine-dice-storage-cup
(Disclosure: This post and blog may contain affiliate links. If you purchase from the links, it will come at no extra cost to you.)
Yes! People Still Care About Originals
One Saturday, a discerning individual came through our tent. They carefully picked up my purple, resin-printed turtles and Sam’s bear design. I began to quietly worry, what were they thinking?
Upon deep consideration, they said, “It would appear you make your own items, molds, and cast. May I ask why it is that you 3d print at all?”
To which my vending-assistant-and-3d-guru Sam excitedly answered, “So we can make new shapes!”
I then added, “We don’t make all the designs, but if we don’t make them, they are always commercial/creative commons/public domain designs.”
“Wow, this might be one of the only 3d print shops around here I actually support.”
They didn’t buy anything, but this was somehow worth more than a sale to me. I wanted to jump up and dance around the tent. Amidst the fake labubu’s (Lafufu’s), dropshipped stuffed animals, and funnel cakes…someone actually saw us.
If You’re a 3d Designer, You Will Be Seen…Eventually
If you’re a designer, stick with it. Someone will see you eventually, so long as you keep vending. See through it, past all the stolen Cinderwing dragon files (ugh), and the same free skull dice tower…It will happen. And boy, does it feel good when it does.
P.S. Need unique resin sundries, vintage goods, TTRPG dice, dragons, and more? Shop small and support a small woman-owned Michigan-based business today: https://littleeccentricities.shop/shop-3/
Materials From the Post
Design your own goodies? Get a resin printer with that same turtle green here, or check out that copper silk:
SLA: Green (Elegoo)
Resin Printer: Elegoo Saturn
Filament: (Copper Silk)
FDM Printer: AI Mini
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