RE: ToyBuilders.com

From: Charles Overy (cwho@mountainmax.net)
Date: Fri Aug 11 2000 - 00:49:19 EEST


Wait a minute
I thought that the idea behind .coms was to lose millions a month by selling
items for less than it costs you to buy and ship them!

after all here are soem quotes from .com IPO prospecti: (prospectuses?)

> "If we are unable to compete sucessfully... our business will fail"
> WatchGuard - June 1999

 " Our sucess will be dependent on the personal efforts of Thomas Kidrin...
> We currently have no employment agreement with Mr. Kidrin. However, we
have
> obtained "key - man" insurance on the life of Mr. Kidrin in the ammount of
> $1,000,000."
> Worlds.com - May 1999

 "we may be unable to adapt to technological change"
> Network Plus - June 1999

>"Our ability to generate cash depends on many factors which are beyond our
> control"
> Citadel Communications - May 1999
>

No, sorry Karl, just kidding. It seemed to me at Toybuilders.com there was
the opportunity to resell predesigned models and perhaps this had more
utility. I also wonder if this site will have utility for high end hobby
enthusiasts etc. There was a person on the list at one time inquiring about
RP of model railroad engines. What seems cool to me is the integration of
the design AND RP services in a single consumer oriented site. I can see
that the current economics of it are a long shot but as it is set up as a
virtual business with what appears to be 100% outsourcing, I don's suppose
there is really that much to loose.

Good Luck to Karl.

Charles
(NOT the pessimist this time!)

           -----------------------------
            Laser Graphic Manufacturing
             ** GroundworkMedia.com*
       Visualization Tools for Architecture,
            Engineering,and Development
      800 448-8808 cwho@groundworkmedia.com

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi [mailto:owner-rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi]On Behalf
Of Richard_Doyle/DTM@dtm-corp.com
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 2:36 PM
To: Marshall Burns
Cc: Karl R. Denton; rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi
Subject: Re: ToyBuilders.com

Cool, yes. Very, very very...I don't know.

Before I get labeled a naysayer, please understand that as an employee of a
large RP manufacturer, I am fully aware of the cost of the various RP
machines.
We're talking tens of thousands of dollars here just for the machines, not
including the cost of materials, labor to model the parts, labor to finish
the
parts, shipping, etc. How do you propose to make these toys inexpensive
enough
for the average parent? Let's take the scepter for example...assuming CAD
time
of 30 minutes or so at an average industry rate of $30/hr, plus SLA machine
time
of 2-4 hours at whatever is being charged these days ($$$$), add the time to
completely finish the part ($15-$20/hr) and you have a toy that costs
anywhere
between $500-$2000. Granted, it's unique. But when parents are choking on
$129
for a Sega or Nintendo system, how do you convince someone to spend this
kind of
money on a static (again, albeit unique) toy?

I agree that putting RP in front of the masses is a good idea (hey, it's how
I
make my living too). But until the price of these parts comes down to a
level
that those same masses can afford, I don't see a (near) future in this.

The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Richard Doyle
CAD Designer

"Marshall Burns" <Marshall@Ennex.com> on 08/08/2000 06:10:54 PM

To: "Karl R. Denton" <karl@toybuilders.com>, rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi
cc: (bcc: Richard Doyle/DTM)
Subject: ToyBuilders.com

Karl,

    This is very, very, very, very cool!

Best regards,
Marshall Burns
President, Ennex Corporation

Marshall@Ennex.com
Los Angeles, USA, (310) 397-1314
http://www.Ennex.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl R. Denton" <karl@toybuilders.com>
To: <rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi>
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2000 15:57 PM
Subject: New high-tech E-Commerce Web Site to use Rapid Prototyping (RP)
technologies to design and build custom toys for the general public.

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/



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