After taking the world by storm with its line of soft plush toys, Uglydolls is now making it so that you can print your own officially licensed 3D Uglydoll models through MakerBot.
Characters like Babo, Ox, Wage and Ice-Bat are fully posable and can be printed for as little as $1.99, or as a set of four for $4.99. In addition to the individual figurines, there's an Uglydoll tour bus to take the quirky critters on an imaginary adventure, as well as small playsets like cookie shops, lemonade stands and miniature toy shops that are also available to 3D print. In order to ensure that the Uglydolls come out in the exact colors, Makerbot also sells the filaments for printing on its Replicator 2, Replicator Mini and 5th generation Replicators.
Quirky 3D-Printed Toys
Makerbot's Official Uglydolls Toys Make Unconventional Action Figures
Trend Themes
1. 3D Printed Toy Revolution - The availability of 3D printed toys now allows for personalized, smaller scale and effectively affordable options.
2. DIY Character Manufacturing - Creating one's own figurines and collectibles is now possible due to 3D printing technology.
3. New Model Merchandising - Licensed 3D printed models present a new avenue for the toy industry in providing merchandise for franchises.
Industry Implications
1. Toy Manufacturing - Manufacturers can leverage 3D printing in the creation of customized, niche models.
2. 3D Printing - The use of this technology opens up new frontiers for the manufacturing and general production industries.
3. Tourism Experience Design - Building 3D printed miniature structures for toy tours or travel-related souvenirs could be a new market for the tourist industry.