10/01/2025
tldr: Poll results showed people still want physical parts, but there's also very strong demand for 3D files. I'll adapt my business to address both.
Thanks very much to everyone who responded to my poll yesterday and took the time to leave a comment. I read each comment and I truly appreciate all the support I've received from y'all over the years.
This is what prompted the poll: the economy sucks, to put it bluntly. The costs involved in running the production and shipping side of my operation just keep going up with no end in sight. It seems much more efficient to sell digital files and completely do away with the cost and time of shipping. I could use that saved time to produce new items. My Patreon has been a good outlet to put out digital-only products and save me the headache of producing and shipping some things-- the car hauler especially!
(if you haven't looked at my Patreon, please do, 😁)
I am keenly aware of the value physical parts provide to my customers. I've always kept my prices as low as possible because I want people to enjoy the hobby and not worry too much about the cost. In lieu of raising my prices, I am aggressively cutting costs wherever I can. I will not compromise the quality of the parts I sell and I can only cut costs so far.
According to the poll, going all-digital is not a good choice. The vast majority of the respondents want me to open up a digital avenue for my products. I honestly don't want my products to get lumped into the Cults3D and CGtrader jungle. So many of the files there are pure s**t (forgive my French) that I feel it would dilute my brand to be listed alongside them. That may sound arrogant, but brand is everything. I'm looking at Shopify and similar sites. Yes, it's risky to put 3D model files onto the internet. So far, none of the models I've released through Patreon have ended up "in the wild," but I really don't actively go out looking for them.
So, to sum it up, I'm going to keep on rolling along with physical parts and also work to serve the self-printing community better.
Thanks!
Joseph Osborn
D/B/A Fireball Modelworks
(pic for attention)
