I feel I “discovered” Maurizio “Mao” Casella, since we somehow got in touch through Facebook when he was just beginning to commercialize his amazing 3D models and asked me for some advice. Judging by what he has produced so far, he might be one of the most talented out there at creating “consumer-ready” 3D printable models. He has shown it once again with three new creations straight out of “automotive mythology”: the Citroen 2CV, the original Mini Cooper, and, while he was at it, a new plane model.
After a first approach with the Shelby Cobra and three models dedicated to his own Italian automotive heritage (a Ferrari, an original Fiat 500, and a Vespa scooter), Mao has once again widened his creative horizons to iconic foreign cars, such as the unforgotten French 2CV and the once British (now part of the BMW Group) Mini Cooper.
What is perhaps most impressive is that Mao has digitally modeled and 3D printed these three vehicles from scratch in less than one month of work. Since before buying a RepRap 3D printer, his experience was solely in digital design, this means that the barriers of entry to 3D printing are not as steep as one might think.
Sure, living in paradise on the Red Sea shore, Mao does have more time to dedicate to his passions than others might; however, he has been extremely prolific, which makes me wonder if his can ever become – and, if so, when? – a prolific business model. Mao sells his creations on model marketplaces such as 3DaGoGo and ToyFabb for €4,99 a piece. He has sold a few dozens so far, which is more than most people and is certainly rewarding from a personal point of view. Nevertheless, at this rate, it will be some time before this can become a serious business. How long exactly?
If Mao produced three models a month for the next 3 years, which is more or less when I expect that desktop 3D printers will have reached a sufficient installed base, that would be about 100 models. If he sold them at the same rate as today, that is a few dozens – say 40 – a month, per 5 models, he would be selling 800 models a month. At a cost of €4.99 each, that would make $/€ 4,000 per month in revenues. Not so bad. Obviously, this is just a very approximate calculation, but I think it gives us a small indication that this business could work. We all certainly hope so, and we cannot wait to see Mao’s new creations.
