A lot of interesting products gain popularity in the Shapeways marketplace. Stress-busting Fidget Toys have been having a major moment since October (I wonder why?), while tech accessories like this GoPro Hero helmet mount or the Levitating Google Home Wall Mount usually hang out near the top of the best-seller list.
Top-selling products are not always the most beautiful or impressive-looking designs on Shapeways. A product that sees consistently strong sales usually solves a problem that you, or more often, the manufacturer of your favorite thing, didn’t plan for. Whether it’s a holder for a fan to cool a high-performance motherboard (designed by ASUS and compatible with its parts), or a part that fastens your Moverio BT-300 controller into a DJI drone mount, clever mods tend to stick in the top 10.
But, what’s the most popular product of them all?
Not so fast — first, let’s look at the runners-up, each of which represent handy hacks to products our community already loves:
Runners-Up:
#3
This top-selling Cannon Adaptor is compatible with the Titans Return Voyager Galvatron figurine
TR Galvatron Cannon Adaptor by Ariel’s Customs
#2
This Helmet NVG Mount for GoPro HEROs 2/3/4 slays on Shapeways — yet another clever mod.
Helmet NVG Mount for GoPro Cameras (HERO 2/3/4) by BrainExploder Creations
Finally, the one juggernaut that has consistently beat them all, despite tough competition from the runners-up:
#1
The Best-Seller
The Sony Smartwatch 3 Adaptor by HL
Why do people love this adaptor, designed to be compatible with the Sony Smartwatch 3, so much? Because it delivers something that almost everyone who comes to Shapeways is looking for: self-expression. A simple snap-on cover that re-skins the face of the watch in the color of your choice (while allowing you to attach any strap you’d like), the adaptor is a clever hack that takes a mass-produced product and makes it endlessly customizable. We think it sums up the ingenuity — and creative drive — of our community perfectly, despite its unassuming appearance.
Do you have an idea for improving a product you love? Why not make it real? Let us know in the comments what you’d tweak on your favorite toys and gadgets.
Sales data covers rankings over the past 13 months
Cover photo via VisualHunt
Skewed by people buying (their own works ?) in quantity in the hope of selling them elsewhere over a much longer period ? (#3 is not even among the first 20 pages of “most popular” items in its category, #2 is but I would not expect paintball with an actioncam so much of an “in” thing still ?)
Or are absolute numbers low enough to make this essentially a random selection that happens to stand out a bit from a sea of single sales ?