$10 for a single model… or $20 a month for four models? For some flexi toy with 20 separate variations that only have tiny changes?
I recognize this is a pretty minor issue in the grand scheme of things. There are plenty of alternatives - both free and paid. It’s just a frustrating trend I’ve been noticing. I’m all for supporting artists and recognizing the time and effort it takes to create the model. I have a handful of Pateron subscriptions/donations.
I don’t sell anything. I print for myself and for gifts. Not everyone wants to sell prints at flea markets, but it feels like that’s the assumption now.
Side rant: It’s annoying how the first thing EVERYONE says when seeing your prints is that “you could sell these!!” I know they mean well, like it’s a compliment, but it’s annoying when it’s insisted on as if they were the first people make such a profound thought.
Yeah, I agree that would be frustrating. It’s not really their fault though. Society has conditioned them to constantly look at things in an ‘is it marketable’ way. Having a broader perspective on the matter might quell some of your irritation about it, or at least give credence to it.
I understand, which is why I don’t really blame the individual artists. The 3D printing community has grown tremendously with modern ‘user-friendly’ printers, so naturally there’s been a shift in demographics. It also doesn’t help how much AI slop grifters are around now too. I just hate the general trend.
To me it just comes off as someone saying “that’s cool, but what’s the point if you aren’t making money? Seems like a waste of time.” It’s just very dismissive.
Like, if you grow tomatoes, nobody goes “damn you could sell these.” Because everyone understands that having a backyard garden is a hobby, with the benefit that you get some decent tomatoes, though at fairly high cost compared to just about any other source of tomatoes.