Still Here

Hey all. Just an FYI that I'm still here. I am trying to get a pre-order going for the Mackie. Also, if I still have good molds I can still cast kits on demand. 

If you're interested in the Mackie please email me.

All Good Things...

I started this endeavor back in 2007 with a couple other guys to fill the gap left when Armorcast stopped making mechs.  By 2010 I was making these mechs all by myself as Ravenstar had become unreliable and Scott moved over to making MWO style mechs. 

The time has come for me to cease kit creation for the foreseeable future. I will still be doing custom build-ups for clients and selling kits that I have molds for. Unless it is a commission I can't justify the time/effort it takes to create a kit.  If you are interested in a long, boring explanation feel free to keep reading.

Okay...here we go. 

Unfortunately, the last few years have been a downward spiral.  More and more people are opting for low quality, inexpensive FDM prints.  More and more people are getting free 3D files and either having them printed or printing mechs themselves as resin printers have become relatively inexpensive. Even some of my regulars have opted to purchase Etsy products as they can beat my prices. International shipping has gotten so expensive I have lost all but 3 of my international clients. At my peak I had almost a dozen German clients plus UK clients, Australian clients, and 1 Canadian client. The cost of resin and rubber had doubled since 2010 as a result of Covid and now the shit global economy (although resin is finally coming down).  I use to build my kits and have them cast by independent casters.  The number of casters on the market has dropped and those still around are not interested in my small-batch jobs as they couldn't make much money off my orders (remember the Marauder debacle?). So, I started molding and casting at home hoping that it might cut costs but it had the opposite effect.  The time I spend molding and casting a kit takes almost as much time as it does to scratch build the mechs.  Now, instead of potentially getting 4-5 mechs done in a year I am lucky to get 2-3 done in a year.  All of this means that to make any kind of profit I have had to raise my prices which has driven away even more customers.  

Engagement on my Facebook page is down horribly. 

Orders are way down.  Six years ago I could set-up a pre-order and count on 20-30 orders regardless of the kit.  I haven't sold more than 20 of any kit in the last 4 years.  Most recently the Marauder garnered less than 20 total sales over 18 months, the SRM Carrier only pulled in 13 sales, and even the Stormcrow only sold 16 kits. If I add up all my sales over a calendar year, add in the pledges from Patreon then subtract all costs I am making around $10 per hour of work.  That is just not sustainable. 

On a personal note I am STILL dealing with health issues and dealing with the slow failure this endeavor has become is just becoming more than I can bear. Being on heavy opioids and Neurontin for 10 years masked a lot of other issues.  Now that I am coming off the drugs physical issues have come to light as well as dealing with my my brain and hormonal chemistry having to readjust to the lack of opioid influence. Seriously, you'd be amazed what long-term opioid use does to the body.

So, that's the long and short of it.  Mech creation is over for the time-being.  If I can find a way to make mech creation viable I will jump back in but it wouldn't be before 2025.

Thanks for all your support over the years. It's been a hell of a ride. 

Auctions and Updates

I am selling off some of my personal stash.  The Loki just sold. Now I am selling off my last unassembled Bushwhacker kit.  The minimum bid is $150. If you are interested please place a bid on the Battlemech Models Clients FB page or message me here.  

All the Stormcrow orders have been filled and just need to be shipped. Whew! Lots of casting. 

On the FB page we are debating the next kit.  Right now the Panther is in the lead. 

Feel free to check out my Patreon page.  As little as a $1 can help keep the lights on.

https://www.patreon.com/BattlemechModels

Retirements

I am about to retire the Sagittaire and the Fafnir from the shop.  The molds are getting old, they take a lot of resin and I have only sold 1 of these in the last 4 years.

Stormcrow Kickstart

Okay...time to try out the new business model.  

Kit Proposal:  The Classic Stormcrow

The kit will be based on the classic 3050 Artwork seen below...minus the silly little arms.  The kit will come with vents for the area over the cockpit as well as missiles as an option.  I also plan on trying to cast the cockpit in clear resin...no guarantees there.  Casting in clear is more difficult than regular resin. 

If you want to fund this kit I will send out invoices that will require a non-refundable deposit.  This will get the construction going.  Once the kit is ready to be molded/cast the remaining balance will be due. 

Despite the hugely increased cost of material, I am going to try to keep the price-point reasonable...$150 plus shipping.  To do this I am going to need a minimum of 15 invoices/down payments (kickstarts?).

If you are interested please message me. Full terms and details will be laid out in the invoice.

New Business Model

I am leaning heavily towards changing my business model.  The greatest hurdle has always been figuring out what mech the community wants.  Some mechs will have high demand and low sales...others low initial demand but higher sales. 

The change I am considering is this.  I will offer up a kit with a two part pre-order.  The pre-order would go out and require a non-refundable 10% deposit.  If there are enough pre-orders then the kit would go into the "build" phase.  Once the build is complete the remaining 90% would be due to cover the molding/casting like I do it now.  I think this would really help me cut down on the time I spend building mechs that don't sell.  Of course, if I am unable to produce the kit, the 10% would be refunded.  To do this I would have to provide you with a more clear design than my usual, "trust me" approach. 

Thoughts?

SRM Carrier

 The SRM carrier kits are going to begin shipping this week!