I’ve been happily designing and producing custom playsets and vehicles for collectors the past three years. It’s been incredibly satisfying, and I’ve loved a lot of it.
BUT.
I’m having to deal with a lot of personal stuff right now. And selling playsets and toys on eBay isn’t producing near the amount of revenue necessary, considering the level of effort it takes to do it.
SO…
I’m still designing stuff. But what I design may not end up for sale to the public. To simplify things, I have reduced the number of items I sell on my eBay store to only 10. I have two upcoming toys/playsets I plan on finishing and releasing the next three to six months but… After that, well… I may walk away. For a while.
3D printing, on a good day, is a dream. But many days, it’s a fraking nightmare. I can’t count the number of nights I have stayed up past midnight trying to get an order done and/or a printer repaired. Because I want to produce the BEST I can. When folks spend their hard earned money on what I produce… Well, I donna dare disappoint.
BUT…
If I did the math, what I make from this is WAY below minimum wage, considering the level of effort and time invested. It is a “side hustle”, not my day job. And I ain’t getting any younger.
I also did the math for my 2022 taxes and… Yeah. The juice is (barely) worth the squeeze. Even though some of my prices are “high” to some, the material cost is what it is. And it ain’t getting cheaper.
I love the support from the Retroblasting community (and if you have not joined this Patreon, I highly recommend it). But while many of that community think what I am doing is cool, I have to pay the bills. And keep my sanity. Upvotes and praise helps with the later, but not the former.
I’ll be posting less in said community the next few months. I have to focus on the day job, and less on the maker stuff (and discussing same). That being said, thanks to all the folks who have contacted me and provided positive feedback for the encouragement. And I’ll be back.
Onward…