The Energon Pub

How do they do it? Is it hundreds of people? Or only a handful? How do they manufacture the figures? I'de love to get in on it...somehow.

Could you just hire a couple of people off of shapeways and go from there? Its a fascinating concept.

What if one were to print the designes they had made and hand paint each and every one? Could they sell them then?
Is it possible to get a press or something of the sort that would print the plastic parts for assembly?

What about pins and screws? Soft rubber bits? It cant be %100 plastic.

Its obviously a growing market, and knowing more about it couldn't hurt.

I have no experience with producing anything, so this is all a best guess, but here goes nothing:

I would think you would need:
1) A good idea. Without a good unique idea, you're done.
2) Design experience and programs (Auto-CAD or something similar I would think)
3) A group who shares your ideas and passion, perhaps contacting Venksta would be a good start. He's got connections.
4) Money. I've heard anything from 10,000 to 100,000 to get a finished product.
5) Planning and Patience. Do you know when we first heard about Assaulter? 2009. It took three years to get from sketch to shelves.
6) Commitment. This is not a hobby, this is not a passion; it is a business. Treat it as such.

Wow, I knew ide need to drop some serious cash, but wow. I'de have to sell an organ or something. Kinda puts the "overpriced 3rd party goods" into perspective.

But I can be patient, I am a transformers fan afterall!

So you couldn't just sell painted shapeways wears? (of your own creation of course)

I was thinking of posting something like this a few days ago. would like to know more about this as well. Very interesting question indeed.

3-10K is just for the molds, that' not including price per piece.
You may have 60 different pieces to make a figure, each costing anywhere from .10 to .50 a piece, or more.


Lets say you buy a Solid mold, that can hold all the plastic pieces you need.

10K$

Now your cost per figure (if using off the shelf screws and pins) is 30$
Now you have to order at least 5000 units.

you're at 160K

and all that is a minimum price.


more then likely your looking at initial minimum order of 10K units.

BeastProwl wrote:Wow, I knew ide need to drop some serious cash, but wow. I'de have to sell an organ or something. Kinda puts the "overpriced 3rd party goods" into perspective.

But I can be patient, I am a transformers fan afterall!

So you couldn't just sell painted shapeways wears? (of your own creation of course)

Your better off selling the parts via shapeways, and not have to spend extra money re-shipping items, and making the final price climb.


But it's all silly, spend 1500$, and buy a 3D printer, learn Maya, and profit. Be the future, the 3rd parties will become irrelevant when Chinese Labor rates mirror the US, which is a decade a way.

No one will pay 100$ for a deluxe figure, which is what it will be by then.

Mkall wrote:I have no experience with producing anything, so this is all a best guess, but here goes nothing:

I would think you would need:
1) A good idea. Without a good unique idea, you're done.
2) Design experience and programs (Auto-CAD or something similar I would think)
3) A group who shares your ideas and passion, perhaps contacting Venksta would be a good start. He's got connections.
4) Money. I've heard anything from 10,000 to 100,000 to get a finished product.
5) Planning and Patience. Do you know when we first heard about Assaulter? 2009. It took three years to get from sketch to shelves.
6) Commitment. This is not a hobby, this is not a passion; it is a business. Treat it as such.

AND 7) Lots of those stupid silhouette pictures to piss the TF fans off with