I'm curious about them.........but how much $ is the material that it uses to make stuff?

Edited after I did a google. I WON'T be trying it! This is just the first one I saw, no particular reason I chose it. But I am NOT smart enough to do it.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/08/home-3d-printers-take-us-on-a-maddening-journey-into-another-dimension/

There's printers that use milk cartons as the material :)

check out glowforge.com. it's quite a remarkable and versatile machine.

Lol, that would be convenient! I just thought it would be a fun gift, but it would be nice if the printer could make something useful, preferably cheaper than you could buy the finished product, but I can't think what that might be. Darn!

I think that it will be a long time before 3D printers are an economical option for most consumers. What are you going to make with one? Furniture? Clothing? Other consumer goods? All those things are more efficiently produced in factories.

Obviously it's a toy at this point, like those kits we had as children to "bake" plastic jewelry. (Gosh, what if one could make jewelry!)

That does look fun! I don't see DH engaging his creative side with it but it's a cute idea for a gift for a craft person :-)

I was joking about it for your hubby, hence the sideways winking smiley, but it would be fun to play with for a child. Not sure I feel it's worth it for an adult.

Maybe he could make some of these, sell them, and it would pay for his hobby for as long as he was interested? https://ef963.infusionsoft.com/app/hostedEmail/2518077/ed33bde731bb5182?inf_contact_key=4bcd9458fafe9c7ce1572364bf6bc328d92ab4ff88a664f3292744f3788a70db

He wouldnt have time to do anything like that, imhappy. But those trees are interesting!