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Post by dazed on Jul 23, 2019 8:09:55 GMT -5
But wait, there's more... I don't disagree with you at all that it's frustrating. One thing you might try is sending a message to the creator to see if he has the ability to discount at all, given you are a repeat customer. Might be worth a shot.
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Post by jhrailroading on Jul 23, 2019 12:58:07 GMT -5
I’m more curious why every Mi-Jack available, such as the Walthers kit that was mentioned or this one on Shapeways, seems to be based on Mi-Jack’s MJ 1000R. That model might have been modern decades ago, but as best as I can tell, every class one railroad has moved on. Mi-Jack’s 1200 series of cranes seem to be standard at intermodal yards today. I have never seen a scale model of these more modern cranes. There just seems to be a void for truly modern intermodal equipment.
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Post by southernnscale on Jul 25, 2019 22:10:45 GMT -5
But wait, there's more... He actually does have what he is labeling a "revised" Mi-Jack crane; it's a great bargain [insert sarcasm + eye-roll here] at only $199.80 in smooth fine detail plastic. [btw...that's the exact same material_build my original non-revised $60.31 crane was]. And, he doesn't even have a product description of exactly what was revised from the original. However, he does have another material option at least: MJF PA12 gray plastic [from what I understand is very durable, but not as detailed; similar to delrin plastic] for $94.77. *For those who also model in n_scale...he also has one listed for only $391.17....... Hello, I'm the designer of the Mi-Jack on shapeways! The first price was the price when I first placed it on shapeways. Then their was a price change by Shapeways which I have no control over all my detailed larger models went up in price. I didn't change my markups! they have been the same since I started this in 2013. I'm not a professional designer and don't get paid to do these designs. These were all designs I wanted to have. I have many models on Shapeways it crazy that some have changed and some didn't this was a two piece model the Mi- Jack and the carriage for the lift. So when some one asked me about this I check and seen the price had gone up! I have put most of my model as one piece and the price came down a bit! but with this one it went up! The $147.04 does have the Carriage with it. The new upload is $199.80 that is with attached spruce for the carriage to make it one piece. Now if I was buying it, it would be $10.00 Cheaper since all my models have very low markups! $10.00 doesn't make up for all the time I put into drawing it and then shape taking their markup from that! It seems every one wants to get rich fast. I'm just a modeler in Z scale and have seen the price change that Shapeways has done hurt a lot of people. I have expressed my feeling towards their price changes and it's like talking to a brick wall! www.shapeways.com/product/CTWHK3E7F/mi-jack-container-crane-z-scale
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Post by southernnscale on Jul 25, 2019 22:26:11 GMT -5
No need to dance around what's going on here while attempting to hide behind Shapeways price increase's/fee's as an excuse. It's pretty obvious what this designer/creator, and what many other's do; targeting specific item's and increasing the price to a ridiculous & unfair amount because of interest, renewed interest, and/or demand [i.e. azl well car's, mcz containers, and maxi announcement...hmmm...]. Point and blood: it's a really lame and low form of price_gouging a niche market.
...Yes, it is very accurate to say he is solely responsible for raising the price of this one specific item to $147 from $60, regardless of Shapeway's fees. I'm not dancing around anything, just stating fact. A LOT of Shapeways products increased significantly in price...some well over the percentage you are talking about. Now, do I KNOW that he hasn't increased the price otherwise? No...but saying he is solely responsible is just plain wrong. I know enough folks operating in the Shapeways realm to know that they are suffering because of Shapeways' policies to the point that the MRR contingent within Shapeways is leaving in droves. There were a few items created at my behest that went to that pesky material known as "unobtanium" overnight. They were unit trains cars and now I'm stuck with 1/4 of what I need. So yeah the answer is...put your money where your mouth is...if you think you're getting ripped off then you probably are...just don't buy the product. Now, if you want to talk about AZL then yes, absolutely it can be argued that they play these games. Refusing to post MSRP's, the whole nine yards. We try to support AZL and start expressing interest in the Maxi-I's and the price mysteriously creeps up and up and up. To the point that now I'll likely buy two instead of 8...it's their prerogative to set the price however they want, and it is our prerogative to not play that game. They did it with the Amtrak Superliners and P42's and it seems like they realized at the last minute that their price increases had priced a lot of people out of the market and then boom they hit the streets at a MUCH lower price. And you can see the impact of those pricing games as times goes on....note MBK's bailing out of their standard order, another dealer that started getting inflated shipping bills, etc. I'm sure MBK grew tired of having to fire sale everything. I started doing these Z scale Items because I couldn't find much of any thing that I wanted or liked! Shapeways At that time was a great place to draw something I wanted in a 3D program and then in a week or so have it in hand. I don't hide behind Shapeways and raise prices! I found that the cheaper I kept my model the more people could buy. I'm not a business. Just a retired USN veteran! which enjoys in his spare time making these model drawings. I use photo and any information I can, but as like anything else in this world even drawing have been costly to get. I'm not Engineer or a professional designer and don't even make a lot of money! You guy can be putting down people you don't even know! well I'm really sorry you feel that way! Well I have said enough and there isn't any break I can give any one you for got to add the Tax now shapeways add taxes to all orders now they didn't do that before this is something new just like the price up on shipping use to be 6.99 UPS now it $8.99 and it takes longer to get it unless you pay more!
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Post by southernnscale on Jul 25, 2019 22:46:02 GMT -5
There Are a few People in Z scale that know of me and I have done projects for them and they bought them right away! They have went back and now have seen the prices almost double! I didn't do any changes at all and shapeways has been really picky with there rule on Support wire size and wall thickness size in Z scale projects and since most modelers have been using the FUD and now Smooth Fine Detailed Plastic the price has gone up! I think the biggest thing was with there handling these small model and the plastic being easily broken and since there rule of reprint broken model it has hurt them and now there trying to get that lost back! I have received from them many models that were broken and parts were not in the bag so there was a replacement they had to do! Then the biggest thing is they have my drawing on the site and they have to take a percent or their markup from what I get which is small for all the work I put it to my drawings!
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Post by southernnscale on Jul 26, 2019 0:08:00 GMT -5
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Post by dazed on Jul 26, 2019 9:39:57 GMT -5
A LOT of Shapeways products increased significantly in price...some well over the percentage you are talking about. Now, do I KNOW that he hasn't increased the price otherwise? No...but saying he is solely responsible is just plain wrong. I know enough folks operating in the Shapeways realm to know that they are suffering because of Shapeways' policies to the point that the MRR contingent within Shapeways is leaving in droves. I'm not a business. Just a retired USN veteran! which enjoys in his spare time making these model drawings. I use photo and any information I can, but as like anything else in this world even drawing have been costly to get. I'm not Engineer or a professional designer and don't even make a lot of money! You guy can be putting down people you don't even know! well I'm really sorry you feel that way! Well I have said enough and there isn't any break I can give any one you for got to add the Tax now shapeways add taxes to all orders now they didn't do that before this is something new just like the price up on shipping use to be 6.99 UPS now it $8.99 and it takes longer to get it unless you pay more! Hi Walt. First things first...THANK YOU for your service to our country. Second, sorry if you thought I was putting you down as that was not my intention. To that end, I have sent you a PM to clarify some things. I *am* guilty of railing against AZL...admittedly not one of my finer moments but it is what it is.
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Post by ProgressRail on Jul 26, 2019 16:00:11 GMT -5
The first price was the price when I first placed it on shapeways. Then their was a price change by Shapeways which I have no control over all my detailed larger models went up in price. I didn't change my markups! I didn't do any changes at all and shapeways has been really picky with there rule on Support wire size and wall thickness size in Z scale projects and since most modelers have been using the FUD and now Smooth Fine Detailed Plastic the price has gone up! If this is true, than I stand corrected...apologies for assuming. Thank you for clarifying on your designed items that Shapeways apparently control's the prices of [minus your mark-up] and is entirely out of your hands. As a consumer looking in from the outside we have absolutely no clue of that; at least I didn't. I figured...it's your design, your online shop with your name on it, you set a base 3d_print price, they take a percentage. One would think, or maybe just me, something like that kind of policy would be clearly stated/seen first, along with the mark-up; especially on item's that have more than doubled or even tripled in price of the same exact build material, without any brass options. It's just strange though, of Shapeways, that many of your designed items that have a larger foot-print, require more material and are detailed...than the mi-jack crane...are still much cheaper; anywhere from a $50 to $150 difference. Maybe they just haven't caught up yet to doubling the price's and more on all your designs... Seeing a previously purchased item that is still readily available [to print], not out of production and, still produced out of their exact same basic plastic material go from $60 up to $200, definitely raises the eyebrows.
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Post by Commodore on Jul 26, 2019 20:12:49 GMT -5
Shapeways is awful... I won't use 'em! My last order was for two copies of an observation. They only sent one...
It was built so badly, that I was happy to get only the one. I didn't complain, either... They may have insisted that I take the other one.
Shapeways technology is two generations old, now. The guys that did my F40 shells are currently the best. Some on Trainboard thought these were injections.
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Post by Rob Albritton on Jul 28, 2019 16:32:37 GMT -5
My first (failed) print of a Kalmar Straddle Carrier. I need to thicken up the railings and make some other adjustments to the model so they will print properly. Z scale intermodal is alive and well!
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Post by cwrr on Jul 28, 2019 22:44:27 GMT -5
Well, the bottom half looks great. Maybe a little paint and some brass details?
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Post by zdave on Jul 29, 2019 9:30:50 GMT -5
My first (failed) print of a Kalmar Straddle Carrier. I need to thicken up the railings and make some other adjustments to the model so they will print properly. Z scale intermodal is alive and well! Nice! Is AZL going to start making some support equipment, such as this? A few years back, I found a fellow through Shapeways who made some Taylor Reach Stackers for me, for use with AZL steel coil cars. They turned out very nice but I'm delinquent on painting them! I'd love to see AZL make some mobile handling equipment like this, so I don't have to set-up dedicated fixed handling equipment.
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Post by gprose on Aug 20, 2019 13:53:25 GMT -5
Hi, re: Shapeways pricing, I mostly collect aircraft and ship models from them. I have found the prices can vary quite a bit between different model makers for the same material and sometimes for the same scale and model! Sometimes the more expensive model actually has less detail! Believe it or not I actually came across one model that was offered in that new PA12 plastic that cost more than the Smooth Fine Detail version!!!!!
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