Reply To: "This technology will DISRUPT miniature companies." says Maker's Muse

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Architects of Destruction ran an injection-mold dungeon terrain KS based on designs originally for 3d printers. They still own several 3d printers printing full time, so I’ll believe the a technology is disruptive when a manufacturer says so.

That being said, local evolution tends to be overseas revolution. This isn’t the first technology I’ve seen that has a marginal value where it was invented, but may have much more at a different location. Shipping prices are constantly increasing, and this includes the cost to ship individual miniatures. AFAIK, Most individual miniatures are made in the UK and USA, and, especially after Brexit, costs to ship them to EU and AU are quite high.

OTOH, Look how the inkjet printer has “disrupted” book publishing. It hasn’t. It’s instead allowed us to “publish” individual web pages, PDF’s, our own documents, etc. Book readers haven’t exactly “disrupted” book publishing, either. Instead, these technologies have increased the population of readers, though each participating technology may have a smaller slice of the consumer pie.

With miniatures, then, custom individual miniatures, more suited for RPGs, may be more commonplace with 3d printers. Meanwhile, entire sprues of armies may be more cheaper to create and distribute through conventional molding. This assumes, of course, that your 3d printer isn’t occupied to make some other, more important, thing. Replacement parts… custom storage… plenty of uses for a 3d printer!