Designers, what's your thought.

[goodduck]

Just a thought. To the designers. Did you ever calculated, estimated by average, how much you send on developing a model? Your time(how much you would paid yourself), experiment with different paper weight, correcting and reprinting, ink, electricity......and on, and on.... How much you wiling to spend, to completion? Then, only to give your model out for free.

I'm working on trouble shooting my first card model design. I'm thinking I already drop 140 bucks on few packs of super B paper(big scale model) to test print and reprint, and test print again, and ink too. Could be even more then 140, I don't know yet. I'm not even going to calculate how much my time worth. I'm also working on a smaller 2nd CAD model. Getting ready to test print some parts on A3. I'm thinking...... I'm going to have to try selling my models to recover my cost. Giving it out free for good will towards mankind don't looks so good of a idea anymore, less and less each page I'm printing.

So, how do you all do it? You don't care about your cost to put it out? Really doing it for the good will towards mankind?

[Lex]

Different designers have vastly different answers to this... From what I saw so far the "mankind" argument itself would be a call to some serious debate but I side with that idea.

Take my Ise design, so far I have spent perhaps £100 on reference materials and I'm spending about 5 hours per week on it, which would keep going for the next two years at least. In the end it's still going to be free but I would take some measure against potential pirates selling the design. I wouldn't care how much I put in it as long as I don't go bust doing so (this amount is nothing compared to say, the sky high tuition costs). And also to think time used designing models would otherwise be used for even less productive activities strengthens the point.

Not that I despise selling models, I am only doing what I am most comfortable with.

[lancer525]

I've dropped a similar amount on my Montana-class BB. More if you count the software I've purchased to do the actual design work with. So far, I've bought about $60-$80 worth of cardstock, $360.00 on a software program that I couldn't have done without, and another $40-$50 on tools, glue, and other miscellaneous things.

I always knew that I was going to offer this one for sale, but about halfway through the first redesign of the hull, I knew I was never going to recoup my expenditures. So I just guessed what I think will be a reasonable cost for the model to set a price for which I want to sell it.

[kenlwest]

This is a very good question... I'll give you my perspective on the subject since I now have several models that have been pretty successful in terms of popularity and sales.

My models are only sold through Ecardmodels, so Chris Gutzmer can vouch for what I am saying here. There is no way to make serious $$ by designing card models. The $$ I have made so far has not been enough to cover the software, computer equipment, printers, and paper and ink used for model development. But it comes close.... and the TIME involved is uncounted or calculated. But I would have had some of these items anyway...

So why do I do it??? Because I love it! And I really enjoy the community here on this forum - I've made some really great friends here from around the world - it just doesn't get any better than that. Where else can you design up a model and send the parts to someone 6000 miles away to build and share the results with the world!

So why don't I just give the models away for free?? 1) it keeps the paper and ink costs off the family budget, 2) I don't want to undermine other designers who ARE wanting to make a little off their models, and 3) like Lex said, it's a little hedge against piracy - and I hate Piracy!!@!

I hate Piracy!

Sorry for the long-winded explanation - I hope it helps.

Ken

[Retired_for_now]

I'm the cheap bugger. Anything I design comes from either my interests or a request - so it's still a hobby and not work. I keep things as simple as possible both to fit my inclinations (think of it as an interesting efficiency problem) and to make it buildable to a wide audience (the educational mission that "justifies" my time spent).
So, I generally only need to print one, maybe two prototypes (and they aren't wasted, they generally find a home) to get the fixes done, less than 10 pages per model so minimal paper cost (though ink cartridges can eat up some cash).
Bottom line - it's kind of like doing a scratch build for me but I end up with a complete pattern for the model so why not share it?
Yogi

[Willja67]

I'm way slower than a lot of designers so I'm not really able to put a good estimate on the time costs to produce. I look on it as funding my hobby. In the four years I have been selling my models I have recouped more than I have spent on software and other expendables (since I don't build much that's not really an issue). I'm sure a lot of the more prolific designers have made a lot more than I in a shorter amount of time, but I would continue to design even if I didn't make a penny just cause I enjoy it.

[Tirick]

I'm trying to offer a fair range of free vs 'buy' models (I have an 8:1 ratio at the moment) and will continue to do so as I release more designs. In the end though, this is a hobby, the design, build, even the texturing are all elements of interest to me, so if I make nothing, I've still really lost nothing save my time. It would be nice to eventually make a little, but I do not expect to make a fortune. This is (in NA at least) part of a dying hobby. Few people younger than my generation seem to be interested in modeling of any kind.

[APA-168]

For me, I make a little money, most of which goes back into buying more models, more reference material, etc. And that is not why I do it. I design for the same reason I build, because I enjoy it. That seems to be a common theme here, unsurprisingly.

In response to Tirick's comment about this being a dying hobby, I would have to disagree. There is a new generation of designers (myself among them) that are finding a different route to paper modeling. I came to it via my interest in graphic design. I suspect I am not the only one, and I feel that the design aspect of the hobby has the potential to keep young people interested. Even if the actual model building doesn't appeal to them as much in and of itself, the challenge and fun of designing something and seeing it come to life is still there. I think it will be pretty interesting to see how the hobby develops as more and more people start with designing and end up building, instead of the other way around.

[Doubting Thomas]

When I was younger, my first paper models were from the book
"50 years of cars...to color, fold, display from 1975. Seven model
cars were on 32 pages. I made a couple and then got older and other
modeling interests came, like airplanes. Put the book on the shelf
for some 30 years until I joined this group. It seemed like a long time
ago if you didn't draft or sketch well, paper models were in the publisher's
realm as my early book was.

Finding models on the internet was really great.
But the bad part was not knowing which ones were "pirated"
an those not.

Discovering the paper tanks from Yoshioka was my re-introduction
to paper models. But his site and his plain white models inspired me
to venture into drawing my own stuff. Using my Architectural drafting
knowledge and CAD.

I did my first CAD/paper model of a WWII 2-1/2 ton Army truck.
At the time it took me 6 months to plan out the 1/72 scale model in
my spare time. It's two years old this summer. It does take a lot of
time and granted I was using my instructions from plastic model I
have had for 20 years.

So I can side with people who want to earn back some of
the time/materials invested.
Whats been really satisfying to create something someone
can enjoy. I did my first repaint of Chiwat's F-5 airplane.
Cafe, living in France posted a favorite paint scheme on a real aircraft
and I was able to apply it to Chiwat's airplane line work with Photo shop.
That was this spring in California.

It doesn't bother me that the work/time I did in the repaint
might get abused by being "out there" in the world. I think of it
similar throwing a bottle with a note in it into a lake or the ocean where
anyone can find it.

P.S. I've been poking around with a paper model of 1947 teardrop trailer/camper
being towed by a 1947 Dodge coupe. Kinda a homage to my parents.

[ARMORMAN]

Thunderbolt start to finish development & instructions if I were to bill a client was around $7000; however, it was also my first complex design. Don't even ask me about the Talon.