JeeQ Data Releases 2nd Quarter Report on 3D Printing Sales Trends, Sees MakerBot Trailing Behind 3DS

Even if you are well-acquainted with the 3D printing industry and the plethora of new equipment and materials available, it can still be hard to get a grip on what’s currently available that might best fit your needs in terms of user level, price, and performance.

Maybe you own a business that needs a professional 3D printer, or maybe you are thinking about buying one for the home desktop. The worldwide inventory and global 3D printing marketplace is becoming vast and is sure to overwhelm if you are just beginning to explore your options, as well as just wondering who’s on top of their game.

Thankfully, as the industry grows, companies like JeeQ Data are keeping their eye on the most popular 3D printers in terms of sales, as well as who is edging forward or slipping behind.

Currently, interesting trends spotlight 3D Systems, as they gain market share (especially with their Sense 3D scanner) while MakerBot drops a bit, perhaps due to negativity with some product issues, layoffs, and general corporate drama, taking some of the shine off one of the industry’s golden children.

The average price for a 3D printer is still rather high for many portions of the hobbyist population, at $1486. Items like the pricey and massive MakerBot Replicator Z18 3D printer drive the average price for a 3D printer up with a steep ticket price of $6499. 3D printers like XYZprinting’s da Vinci Junior 1.0 3D Printer drive the average back down though at an attractive $349.99.

A prime indicator for industry trends can always be seen at both Best Buy and Amazon, although across the board it’s important to note that the most popular 3D printers were the FlashForge 3D Printer Creator Pro and ROBO 3D R1.

At Best Buy, there were not any big surprises with the top ten:

1. 3D Touch 3D Stylus
2. XYZprinting – Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer 
3. 3D Systems – Sense 3D Scanner
4. 3D Systems – Cube Wireless 3D Printer 
5. XYZprinting – da Vinci 1.0 All-in-One 3D Printer 
6. MakerBot – Replicator 5th-Generation Desktop 3D Printer 
7. 3D Systems – CubePro Trio Wireless 3D Printer
8. RoBo 3D – R1 ABS+PLA 3D Printer 
9. XYZprinting – da Vinci Junior 1.0 3D Printer 
10. XYZprinting – Da Vinci 2.0 Duo 3D Printer 

At Amazon, most interestingly, when it comes to purchases in 3D printing, consumers are taking the easier and more affordable road with a pen, namely the Samto 3D Stereoscopic Printing Pen for 3D Drawing & Doodling. Considering that Amazon is also a major hub for gift shopping, that may have some bearing on why this product is claiming the first spot. Here is the list in totality:

1. Samto 3D Stereoscopic Printing Pen for 3D Drawing & Doodling
2. XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer 
3. FlashForge 3D Printer Creator Pro 
4. HICTOP Prusa I3 3D Desktop Printer 
5. ROBO 3D R1 
6. LulzBot Mini Desktop 3D Printer 
7. XYZprinting Da Vinci Jr. 1.0 3D Printer 
8. XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 AiO All-in-One 3D Printer 
9. 3Doodler 3D Printing Pen with 50 Strands of Plastic 
10. LulzBot TAZ 5 Desktop 3D Printer 

It’s also interesting to note, along with the fact that the most popular hues for 3D printing tend to be neutrals, that gray is the best seller this week.

JeeQ Data offers a service for anyone to sign up for an account and track what’s going on in the 3D printing industry, so if this type of data interests you, give them a try and sign up for your own account; otherwise, we will keep you updated here quarterly.

Will you be purchasing a 3D printer, scanner, or pen anytime soon, and if so, was this information helpful? Discuss in the 3D Printing Sales Trends forum thread over at 3DPB.com.