MyMiniFactory has announced a new program called “Premium Merchant” that hopes to resolve problems for 3D designers.
The long-time 3D model site has undergone several evolutions during its 13-year history. While it began as a Thingiverse-like system with the added benefit of actually testing the printability of uploads, they’re now quite different.
Today MyMiniFactory is a large and growing site designed to support 3D designers. With the explosion of inexpensive high-resolution resin 3D printers, the market for gaming pieces and figurines has similarly grown. MyMiniFactory provides a platform to help designers grow their own audience and be financially rewarded for doing so.
In 2022 the company added the ability to provide physical prints of designs for designer communities, via a strategic acquisition.
That put them alongside the giant of that space, Etsy. Etsy is a huge marketplace for handmade goods, but it’s recently had a series of issues. Along with a large cut for Etsy from every sale, the service has had increasing problems of design theft. An Etsy designer very often finds their design instantly copied by multiple other parties, and this hurts their sales and reputation. In many cases Etsy is not able to keep up with these fraudulent designs, and they remain up. This has led to a number of designers leaving Etsy and looking for other platforms that are more functional.
MyMiniFactory wants to be one of them with their new feature, Premium Merchant.
A Premium Merchant is a participant that has undergone a verification process by MyMiniFactory. This ensures that the merchant is not a fly-by-night character simply looking to exploit designers. The Premium Merchant program allows the merchant to license true designs from actual MyMiniFactory designers at a reasonable cost, and the merchant can produce and ship the design legally. Both merchant and designer benefit.
MyMiniFactory explains:
“The Premium Merchant Program addresses longstanding issues in the 3D printing ecosystem, where unlicensed copying of designs has created a ‘wild west’ environment that undermines both creators and legitimate manufacturers. MyMiniFactory’s solution provides official verification for Premium merchants while it will ensure automatic royalty payments to designers through transparent licensing.”
The program provides an official badging system for buyers to know they’re working with a validated merchant.
This is a unique offering that does not appear to be available at other platforms, and could be quite attractive to Etsy refugees.
The program also provides for a very strong link between designers and 3D print operators. That’s quite important because in many cases designers are not the best printers, and printers are not the best designers. The Premium Merchant program enables the best of both to easily work together.
Via MyMiniFactory
