3D printing is one of the hottest manufacturing topics right now, and for a good reason. While traditional manufacturing is one of the most expensive fields, 3D printing is an affordable, simple, and smart solution to manufacture any imaginable item. If you want to make some money with 3D printing, this article will disclose some top things to 3d print and sell on Amazon today. But first;
What Is 3D Printing, and Why Sell on Amazon?
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3D or three-dimensional printing is creating physical objects designed on a digital device. This process is also called additive manufacturing and fused deposition modeling.
It involves creating a digital blueprint of your object on a laptop using modeling software like Blender or a website like Thingiverse. Then, when you have a 3D design, you print it using a 3D printer that lays down thin layers of material, then fuses them together according to the computerized design to create a fully-formed physical object.
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3D items are made with different materials, including metal, plastic, powder, paper, resin, carbon fiber, and human body cells. This technology has been around for ages, with numerous industries using the process to create prototypes that they later design into sellable items. Most recently, doctors have been looking for ways to use 3D printing to recreate functional organs for transplants.
You can also start making money selling 3D-printed items on Amazon. The best thing about this business is how easy it is to set up and also how easy Amazon makes selling your items for maximum profits. So, why is Amazon the best place to sell your 3D creations? Well;
- It is one of the largest online marketplaces, with an estimated 2 billion-plus visitors each month
- You can join the Amazon FBA program to eliminate stressful shipping when you sell just a few pieces of your products
- You can carry out the most effective product research to pick a niche for your business
Still, selling items on Amazon can be harder than on other major platforms like Etsy and eBay. For instance, you need to set up an Amazon seller account and pay more in seller fees. But, considering Amazon will also take care of your product fulfillment, it is the better option than the other two.
Top Things to 3D Print and Sell on Amazon Today
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Becoming an Amazon seller requires you to find the best products to sell if your business is to succeed. And, since selling 3D-printed items involves some extra manufacturing costs on your side, you will want only to pick product categories that move fast.
Luckily, we have done most research for you and found the following products that sell fast on Amazon.
1. 3D Miniatures
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One way to make money with 3D printing is if you decide to sell miniatures for popular games or even movies. These items are usually quite small but very keen on details, so you will want to invest in the best printing material, such as resin and 3D printers.
The cost of manufacturing miniatures or replica props is low, and you can create a very interesting object in as little as 3 hours. In addition, you can save more design costs by not painting the miniatures so your buyers can customize them more at home.
If you pick this route, you want to research more about the best categories to sell them, though most will sell under the Toys and games category. Finally, you can capitalize on trending games to make more money with miniatures.
If not tabletop games, you can make beautiful figurines of historical animals like dinosaurs.
2. 3D Cosplay Clothing and Accessories
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Cosplaying is a tradition that won't go away any time soon, especially with events like Halloween or fandom conventions happening now and then. Therefore, this is a good idea for your Amazon business, where you can make three-dimensional replicas of comic books, video games, or famous movie character costumes.
If you pick this product category, understand you need to pay keen attention to details because your potential buyers expect the best replicas. 3D-printing a cosplay costume is a challenging project; it can take hours or days, depending on the materials you use or the accessories you are making.
Some of the best cosplay items that sell on Amazon include superhero costumes from popular DC movies, anime costumes, and even Halloween masks. If you choose this business, invest in a high-end 3D printer designed for large-volume printing. Also, use the best materials, such as metal, spandex, plastic, and more, that will enable you to charge a pretty penny for your inventory.
3. 3D Phone Cases
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Smartphones have become integral to daily life; people carry them everywhere, creating the need for most to make theirs unique and more recognizable. Since you can make a phone case in just a few minutes with a 3D printer, this is another product category you can consider for your Amazon business.
The best idea here is to design expressive cases, so you can opt for unique colors or design character-inspired cases. You will easily find the best 3D printing material to use, though some, like PLA and ABS, make the most decorative and durable covers.
If you choose this idea, ensure you can make cases for the many smartphone models.
4. 3D Phone Holder
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3D printing phone holders is another way you can make easy money on Amazon, but, like the phone case idea above, you will need to be thorough in designing holders for different phone models.
The best thing about this idea is how you can improve the cell holder design to cash in on more profits. For instance, you can incorporate a mirror into the design or design the unit to double as a sound or screen amplifier. The easiest design might be to make the holder a sound amplifier, so you will also want to pay more attention to positioning a phone's tiny speakers for the best sound output.
5. 3D Jewelry
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Fashion is one aspect of today's lifestyle that keeps on improving. But, despite the latest emerging trends, people still want affordable and unique pieces to don. This is where 3D printing comes in; you can start making 3D jewelry to sell on Amazon. The best thing about this idea is that it is easy to create and print as long as you have the best printer and detailed designs.
Jewelry pieces like rings and pendants are small, so you will not need tons of raw material to create them. In addition, you will find it easy to market the products since you can list them on the marketplace in the Clothing, Shoe, and Jewelry category. That said, you will still need a good eye for detail, not to mention design creativity and uniqueness, to come up with fast-moving items.
6. 3D Architectural Models
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Know a thing or two about architectural designs, or do you know someone who can create unique designs you can print? If so, 3D printing architectural models is a clever way to make income. If you have an architecture business, you can make your own models to sell as a prototyping service. Alternatively, as with many Amazon offers, you can create 3D architectural puzzles for kids' and adult games.
Whichever route you prefer, understand that designing structures like buildings or landmarks requires good skill, and you will also need the best filaments and printer.
7. 3D Home Products
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There is a never-ending demand for home products like planters, coasters, clocks, and toothbrush holders. This makes it a great product category you could venture into with 3D printing.
If you go for this idea, concentrate more on creating luxurious, beautiful, and durable products, and avoid relying too much upon the 3D-printed tag.
The key to these items is to eliminate the risks traditional methods pose. For example, most traditional vases are heavy and delicate, which is something 3D printing mitigates. 3D vases are lighter but still durable, but that is not all you can market with. Instead, ensure to incorporate the best exterior designs, such as paints and patterns, that can sell fast.
The best thing about making and selling these products is that they have high demand, and they do not require much effort to make besides a little design creativity. In addition, you can start with one line of products, such as vases, to test the market demand. Then, if you manage to build a name, you can slowly venture into other lines, such as coasters.
8. 3D Eyeglass Frames
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Like rings, necklaces, and other forms of jewelry, eyeglass frames are other products always in high demand. Currently, most people want custom frames for their existing lenses so they can change these up to complement their fashion. So, if you come up with some unique frame designs, you can set up an Amazon store to sell frames that will move fast.
But remember to only use the best materials for your frames. In short, avoid some filaments, such as PLA, that will likely warp if exposed to heat and sunlight or nylon with a high glass transition temperature to mitigate the risk of melting the frame if the wearer spends a lot of time outdoors.
9. Other 3D Printed Objects to Sell
Below is a list of creative ideas for products you could sell on Amazon:
- Wall mounts
- A custom six-pack carrier
- Simple soldering iron stand
- Wall outlet mount.
- A full-sized coat hanger or a unique-own coat hanger
- Custom car's sun visor.
- Small storage devices.
- Space-themed cookie cutters.
What Do You Need to Start Designing and Selling 3D-Printed Items on Amazon?
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Now that you have a few ideas of what you could sell on Amazon, here are a few things you must have to start your business.
a) A 3D Printer
The most vital tool for your 3D printing business is a high-quality printer. So, before you get one, understand what you will print with it to determine its size, budget, and other features, like heated printing beds. Most 3D printers cost between $250-$500.
b) Filament
Your 3D printer uses filaments to create the models you design. The filament is what melts to create the thin layers that are then fused together to create products. Though the filament prices range depending on size, a roll can cost between $20-$30.
c) 3D Models or Modeling Software
You need 3D models if you can't create designs yourself or designing software like Blender, where you can create unique designs. Whichever option you choose, you can be prepared to spend around $150; buying models or paying for the software.
d) A Computer
While you will use software to design the blueprints for your products, you need a computer with enough storage space to store your designs. So, aim for at least 4GB of RAM.
e) Other 3D Printing Tools
Examples include chemical sealants, cutting mats, pallet knives, glue sticks, deburring tools/knives, sandpaper, digital calipers, adhesion sheets, and others.
How Do You Print 3D Models?
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Now that you have gathered the supplies needed for your Amazon business, here is how to start 3D-printing models to sell.
Step 1: Create designs. You can use the modeling software, buy or download designs from established designers (avoid breaking copyright laws), or hire a professional to design your models.
Step 2: Use the slicer program to translate your design model into the printer's G-code commands for 3D printing.
Step 3: Prepare the printer by loading the filament and positioning or leveling the printing bed.
Step 4: Print. Remember, some models will finish printing in a few minutes while others can take days; it all depends on the complexity of the design you modeled.
How Do You Sell 3D Items on Amazon?
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When you're ready to start designing and printing products to sell, here are the steps you can take to become a new Amazon seller:
Step 1: Create an Amazon seller Account. Here is a detailed guide to opening a new Amazon seller account.
Step 2: Conduct thorough product research. You typically want to find:
- Product categories that empty inventories in no time
- Seller competition (look at their reviews to understand what your target is looking for and mistakes you can avoid)
- Products you can sell for a good amount of money to recover good profits
- Products that are not patented; best to avoid recreating an intellectual property
- Products that weigh little to minimize shipping costs even when you use Amazon FBA
- Products that can be made with a 3D printer. It is important to avoid food items that shouldn't be made artificially
Step 3: Make your products.
Step 4: Choose your fulfillment method between Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfilment by Merchant (FBM). In addition, understand how many items you can make in a certain amount of time to fulfill many orders if your products are successful. If you want to use Amazon FBA, you will want to avoid choosing the made-to-order business model, while forward stocking is the best method if you want to use FBA.
Step 5: Choose your product categories. Perform Amazon keyword research to find ways to describe your listings, take good photos of your products, and register your brand to attract more sales.
Step 6: Launch your Amazon products. There you go! You finally have products to sell, and now you can sit back and wait for your sales to go up. But you can do more than wait; you can try using Amazon PPC ads to market your products and business to most Amazon visitors.
