Our client sent us a seriously cool product. He asked us if it might be a good business idea. It turned out to be a 3D printed potted plant. Each leaf is magnetic, and when you pluck one at random, it tells you what to have for dinner tonight. So we dug a little deeper and found the creator, ForgeCore. Amazingly, almost every product he shares has millions of views.
Reliable, Commercial-Ready 3D Designs?
Then we noticed something interesting. On his page, thereās no link to buy the actual product or the finished piece. Instead, it directs us to a site where he shares his 3D print design files. The good news? You can download his design files along with instructions ā and yes, you can even use them for commercial purposes. But hereās the catch, and itās kind of brilliant. The commercial license only applies as long as you stay subscribed as a member. That means if you want to sell these products, youāre basically paying him a fixed monthly licensing fee to keep that permission active.Ā
Selling design files is a lean way to monetize ā no inventory, no shipping headaches. And it gives him more time to focus on creating fresh, original designs. Honestly, most of his 3D printing creations really are clever, and they all help promote 3D printing machines. Thatās something to keep in mind as we decide if itās worth it.
How Theyāre Selling
Weāve got to admire the creativity, from cactus toothpick holders to magnetic morning glory fridge magnets, some of these designs are already popping up on Amazon in past month.
Itās early to tell how the fresh listings will perform, but based on whatās already on the market, these kinds of products clearly do better on platforms like Etsy, where the audience appreciates unique and personalized items. Take the Plant Food Picker as an example: sellers there go the extra mile with custom menu options, and the average price jumps from around $15 on Amazon to $30ā$40 on Etsy. Most reviews are above 4.5.Ā
How to Keep Batch Production Costs Low
3D printing has a low upfront cost, which makes it a go-to choice for creating product prototypes during the development stage. Thanks to its flexibility, weāve seen a surge in niche creative products, think of those dragon eggs that went viral over the past few years. ForgeCoreās designs follow a similar path: practical, creative desk pieces like sushi-shaped pill boxes, tree-shaped coasters, and other useful everyday items.
If youāre looking at batch production, Chinaās well-established 3D printing farms are probably the most cost-effective option. With hundreds of machines running together, they can print dragons for around 5 cents per gram. Each weighs about 40 grams, so the cost stays low and the profit margin looks good, as long as youāve got a steady stream of high-quality 3D models.Ā
The Tough Parts They Wonāt Tell You
But if youāre planning to do it yourself, there are definitely some barriers to consider. 3D printing materials arenāt all that durable, so these products are basically creative decor or lightweight everyday items. Beyond just having ideas and designs, you also need to know how to tweak and refine files using software. And once the printingās done, thereās still the finishing work ā sanding, painting, smoothing out edges. All the details that make the final product feel polished and ready to sell.
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