As a 3D scanning enthusiast, I was surprised that 3D scans were so scarce on the internet. While one can purchase stock photos of any conceivable subject, and hand-made 3D models are starting to be common. stock scans were mostly unavailable, or were produced by institutions and restricted to uncompensated uses by students and non-profits. It seemed that with the rise of 3D printing, there should be a market for royalty-free scans of objects otherwise in the public domain or made available by permission. So I started 3DScanHub.com, seeding it with some scans of my own, in the categories of People, Antiques, Fossils, Natural Objects, and Sculptures. For a moderate fee, customers get a file they can basically do what they want with (reselling them as scans is an exception). Other people or companies with scans they own the rights to are also welcome to sell their scans here for a split of the proceeds.

Right now, you can download a Valentine's treat - the True Heart Cockle, or heartshell, in STL format, absolutely free. There's also a wealth of information on 3D scanning in general and links to notable providers in the field.

Andrew Werby
3dscanhub.com