[QUOTE=Bradley;9369]
Quote Originally Posted by atoff View Post

I agree with you completely in terms of the 'average joe right now'.

Improved ease of use, material options, and material costs will obviously start to change that. But so will demand for complexity and customization. Consumers don't think in terms of personal products just like they don't think in terms of personalized medication. We compromise by purchasing cheap mass produced stuff. If people want to use 3D printers to replace coat hangers it's an easy calculation.

On the other hand, something that might turn that around is printing custom foot orthotics. Custom orthotics are extremely expensive. I think they run around $400/pair. If people start thinking in terms of customization then an $800 printer (RepRap) that can print one pair of orthotics in several hours starts to look practical. 3D printed orthotics can't happen now because we also need the scanner and the software. But it is an example of how demand for customization can make a 3D printer practical for average joes.
Definitely, things like this will be very possible soon... http://gizmodo.com/a-new-flexible-fi...ake-1541334417
But I can see it being even better. Perfectly custom fit shoes that actually wrap around and give support on an individual basis, clothing and jewelry that's user designed, watch bands (I have thin wrists, watches typically look foolish on me, but if they fit snugly and were as thin as I'd prefer...), belts... all things I can see being easy to print once quality, speed, and software improve. Future's bright! It's why I want to get into the 3D printing world while it's young. I don't actually have very good design skills, in fact, they're quite garbage, but I do have ideas I'd like to see come to light.