Mattel moved the shipping date for its ThingMaker 3D printer to next fall in order to give the company the chance to improve the 3D printing kit. Originally, the ThinkMaker was to be released this month – which would have been fine for this year’s Christmas business.

Mattel debuted the Thingmaker (and subsequent Creepy Crawlers) in the 1960s as an “at-home maker device”. Kids could use molds to create small toys out of liquid plastic.

Earlier this year, at the Toy Fair Trade Show in New York, the “ThingMaker” was reborn as a 3D printer. The machine drew a lot of interest, perhaps due to its relatively cheap price tag of $299.99.

But now, Mattel pushed the ship date back from this month to fall next year. The reason: Toy maker needs time to improve the 3D printer so as to ensure the “most engaging end-to-end experience” (Mattel) for customers.

The printer comes with a companion app that offers a simple way to design and customize toys. When a design is finished, the user sends the STL file directly from the software to Mattel’s printer. The toys are split into individual pieces which are printed in a batch and require assembly the printing process.

Mattel ThingMaker postponed to fall 2017

 

Mattel’s Statement Regarding the ThingMaker

This printer is appropriate for ages 13 and up making it a printer for a maker’s early years. A Mattel spokesperson gave this statement about the printer’s delay:

“After much consideration, Mattel has decided to move its Thingmaker/3D printer launch to Fall 2017. At Mattel, we pride ourselves on delivering best-in-class products and the additional time will allow us to enhance the digital functionality to ensure we deliver the most engaging end-to-end experience for all family members. We are grateful for the excitement around this product and look forward to exceeding expectations in 2017. For more information/updates on product avail visit Thingmaker.com.”

Amazon began taking pre-orders for the printer back in February. Anyone who immediately placed their order was promised a shipping date of late October. But on the Amazon ThingMaker page, you will now find only a short note: “Currently unavailable. We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.”

In the meantime, check out some of the 3D printers already released and perfect for kids here.

Mattel ThingMaker

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