Whether it’s action figures from a series, D&D miniatures, or replicas from a video game. Every gamer wants to have replicas of their favorite characters and include as many as possible in their collection. However, most purchasable items are expensive. Our tech expert Jan Hartmayer has a solution for that.
In the past, I kept shopping online for decor or display items from my favorite stories. The problem is: A nice figure about 20 cm tall from a popular franchise like Star Wars quickly costs over 200 Euros (via actionfiguren24). There are cheaper options, but even those can quickly become expensive.
As a proud Swabian and passionate nerd, I wanted to find an alternative that would help me reduce my decor expenses in the long run. My solution: purchasing a 3D printer. The reasoning was simple: “Figures are usually just painted plastic. A 3D printer can do that too, right? I can definitely save a lot of money with that.”
Once I made up my mind, I quickly bought a Bambulap P1S for 399 Euros at the time – the best purchasing decision I’ve made in a long time.
Even my Nintendo Switch 2 benefited from the purchase when I quickly printed a dust cover for the console itself. Anyone wanting to learn more about Nintendo’s latest console should check out the following trailer:
Easy to learn, hard to master
To be honest, I had some fear about using a 3D printer. I read numerous horror stories online beforehand: destroyed nozzles, non-functioning software, poor print quality, and much more. But fortunately, I was enlightened to the better.
3D printing is no longer the niche hobby it was 10-15 years ago. Once I unpacked the printer, it only needed 15 minutes for calibration, and 30 minutes later, I already held my first test print in my hands.
This prompted me to print increasingly complex figures over time, paint them, and refine the manufacturing process step by step. From painting and sanding techniques to optimizing the print – I even found great joy in researching the topics.
The hobby captured me in a whirlwind, and within the first two months since buying the printer, my partner and I printed and painted almost 30 figures together. We even had to look for places as our cabinet was quickly filled with the homemade action figures.
The final result also depends on the resources and skills of the painter. But even I, who is not artistically gifted, could achieve satisfactory results. But our editor Caro also once got lost in the jungle of miniature painting and reports how the hobby suddenly captured her.
Although there is still much room for improvement in my painting technique, the feeling of having painted them myself is fantastic!
My best investment
After the first two months, I totaled the costs incurred:
- 400 Euros for the printer
- 3 kg filament for 15 Euros per 1-kg roll, which was enough for about 25 – 30 figures + tests in total.
- 40 Euros for a cheap acrylic paint set and brushes from Amazon.
- 10 Euros for a pliers set to free figures from support structures.
That totals to 495 Euros for 30 action figures. However, this does not include the power consumption of the 3D printer, which I did not calculate. For comparison: The P1S model from Bambulap consumes approximately 0.1 kWh in operation (via call-3d). Depending on the electricity tariff in Germany, that amounts to between 20 – 30 cents per kilowatt, thus 2 – 3 cents per hour as of today, April 29, 2026 (via stromauskunft).
A smaller, 15-centimeter figure takes about 3.5 – 5.5 hours to print, depending on detail level, print speed, size, and infill.
My partner was also obsessed with the 3D printing hobby and created many beautiful figures.
500 Euros is certainly a lot of money at once, and it has increased over time as I have bought upgrades like multi-print systems, more colors, paints, and much more. But with the initial cost of nearly 500 Euros, I was more than satisfied and can recommend the hobby without hesitation.
For the same money, I could have bought at most five finished figures officially. Since getting the printer, I haven’t bought a single figure anymore. Because… why should I?
I can now print almost any figure affordably with my equipment and customize it myself. It has worked out so well that several friends and relatives have also acquired a 3D printer, as they were impressed by the results.
The printer is not only suitable for figures but has also printed useful gadgets like a headphone holder that I still use today. For me, there is only one conclusion: The 3D printer was the best purchase I have ever made! In stark contrast to this: I voluntarily bought a muzzle microphone for 150 Euros and already knew it was a mistake
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