The Solidoodle 3d Printer (Solidoodle.com ) Generation 2 is doing something big. Er small, rather. The price is $499 for the newest model. This is big news considering that the Cubify Cube 3d Printer has a (relatively low) cost of $1,299. The market is buzzing about the Cube and its ultra cheap price. Previously, the cost of most 3d printers hovered around or above $2000.  You may be saying to yourself that Solidoodle is not currently a publicly traded company. So how does this relate to investing?

Availability.

Lets refer back to the invention and implementation of inkjet printing. The first printers to come about were created around 1976. These were way too expensive for home use. Much like 3d printers a couple years ago. While it looks like a very solid and capable machine, The price of the Solidoodle 3d printer is the star of the show here.

In 1988  Hewlett-Packard released the DeskJet inkjet printer. This printer was easily affordable for the modern family at a measly $1000. Yea.  $1000 was the threshold at which printers became considered affordable. Now they are $50 at Walmart.

Consider the following chart I created that illustrates how the cost of inkjet printers has decreased over time

(If needed, click to enlarge)

Im not sure that Moores Law applies to printing technology specifically but it seems to be fitting. Technology like this is first a novelty, becomes affordable, then becomes a necessity. The previous model of the inkjet printers has shown that when the price drops, so does the household usage increase. The cost of 3d printers (namely the Solidoodle 3d printer) is around the mid-90s price of a inkjet printer. Prices will only continue to drop and therefor this technology will become available on nearly all budgets. Think about how many times a week you use your printer. Your kids will be printing their own phone cases and 3d models.

The main point to all of this is that this quick reduction of price seems to parallel the model that the inkjet printer set years ago. If this is the case, there is plenty of money to be made from investing in the companies building the framework in this industry.

As always, stay tuned to 3dPrinterStocks.com where we keep track of all the major events in the 3d printing market. Coming up we will be breaking down individual stocks related to the 3d printing industry and let you know who is creating waves and how!