No, you can’t buy them at Best Buy yet, but we’re hoping you will within a few years. Meanwhile, you actually CAN buy a 3D printer at a corner store right off the shelf, if you happen to live in a particular Brooklyn, NY neighborhood.
That’s right, MakerBot Industries has opened a Retail Store for 3D printing and other gear. You can walk in off the street at any time between noon and 8PM ET on Tuesdays through Saturdays until Christmas. They’ll have a variety of items available, including kits for MakerBot Cupcakes, expansion kits, print material and basically everything they sell.
We believe this is the first time 3D printers have been sold to the public in a retail setting. Check out the video below for a tour by overly excited MakerBot chief Bre Prettis. If you happen to be in the NYC area in the next few weeks, you’d better drop by the BotCave at 87 3rd Ave in Brooklyn. Or call (718) 522-4803 if you get lost.
It’s definitely not a Rodeo Drive-level shopping experience, but you will receive a free 3D printed object, just for showing up. Congrats to Makerbot for doing something amazing. Again!