Save 20% With the RatPrints Holiday Sale (Dec. 1st 2025 - Dec. 15th 2025)!
First things first, it's that time of year again!
You can save 20% sitewide by using the promo code JINGLERAT
Celebrating A Year Of RatPrints!
That's right! Somehow, it's been a full year of RatPrints, and though there have been some stumbling blocks (and there are still more to work through) the love and support that the rat community has shown has been utterly astounding.
When we first set out to start this venture, we had a single idea, the Ratellite, an overly ambitious attempt at creating a better space pod. When I was laid off last November, it really lit a fire under me to try to make RatPrints a sustainable full time job.
I learned a lot of valuable lessons working with my buddy Robert to design the Ratellite, not the least of which was that 3D printing dome-shaped objects in a single piece is really really hard.
To this day, only one printer in my fleet will print the Ratellite without messing up the inside of the dome, and only then if I use an older version of the slicing software that tells the printer what to do.
I certainly wouldn't call the Ratellite an unmitigated success, and it's been far outpaced by sales of other products, but it was a perfect starting ground to cut our teeth.
At the time of writing, we now have 48 products for sale, including an assortment of hides, baskets, huts, ledges, figurines, and stickers, including 7 unique stickers by The Rattered Hive (with more on the way!).
It's been a heck of a year (for all of us)
I know that I am not alone in saying that 2025 has been a very tough year. For me personally, it kind of feels like I picked the absolute worst possible time to start a small business.
I've lost loved ones this year, struggled with my own mental and physical health, and drove myself sick with stress trying to get this venture off the ground. It's been a hell of a year.
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've thought about closing the door on RatPrints when a power outage wiped out tens of hours of print progress or an item broke in shipping, or I looked at the money coming in versus going out and always found myself lacking as the price of everything soars. It's been incredibly difficult.
On the flip side, the love and kindness and support that the online rat community has shown me and shown RatPrints has been so incredibly touching that I cannot fully express it in words.
I've lost count of how many times this year I've seen people, paying customers, promoting our products without prompting, without being incentivized, just purely because they want to see us succeed.
I've also lost count of how many times I've been brought to tears by the kind, wonderful messages of support I've received.
I simply cannot thank all of you enough for the support you've shown me.
Is there a future for RatPrints?
Trying to start this business has been the single hardest thing I've ever done.
RatPrints is not raking in cash (if I pay myself out $100-$200 it's been a really good month). I worry that my products are overpriced, but I also know that I'm not making enough profit per product to make this venture sustainable without moving massive quantities of product.
There's the fear that if I raise my prices, the sales will dry up completely. Moreover, I don't want to feel like I'm overcharging people. I want my products to be affordable, durable, and accessible. In a world that it feels like you keep paying more and more and more for less and less, I just want to make quality products that feel like they're priced fairly.
Where I'm at
Currently, I'm in a position where I simply cannot keep dedicating the amount of time I have been to RatPrints.
I have been quietly searching for part or full time employment while continuing to design and release RatPrints products, but it's reached a point where I can't keep it up financially any longer, and with the economic hardships we're all facing, the prospect for things improving in the future feel slim.
What are my options
1. Stop designing new products, consolidate my product catalog, reduce color options.
Designing new products is costly, both in time and material. Products have to be printed multiple times over to ensure that they are production ready, safe, and able to be printed consistently (unlike the Ratellite). Ceasing design of new products would certainly save money, but I also fear that it would lead to a decrease in new sales.
Consolidating my product catalog and reducing filament color options would also save money. If I only offered my 5-10 most popular designs in my 4-5 most popular colors it would significantly reduce the amount of filament stock I'd need to maintain, and would also potentially allow me to keep backstock of some products so that not everything is made to order.
The main reason I don't want to go this route is that it would stifle the part of the job I truly enjoy (creating new product designs) and would lead to less selection and fewer color options for customers. Every time I think I should get rid of a color, I can point to a product (especially themed products) where the color is needed.
2. Close RatPrints
This option has been a tough pill to swallow. Do I walk away from the countless hours and sleepless nights and hardships? Can I really give up when I've seen the wonderful impact that my products have had on so many people and critters?
No. I don't think I can give up on that.
3. Keep RatPrints alive (with some caveats), but also branch out
This one is the most practical option, and I think the most likely strategy I'll adopt for 2026.
Basically, if I want to keep this business alive, I think I'll need to step back, find other sources of income, and focus almost exclusively on filling orders rather than designing new products. Here's what that looks like:
I will soon be launching a Patreon to try to drum up support for RatPrints. Patreon members will get access to an exclusive RatPrints discord community, behind the scenes blogs and vlogs, sneak previews of upcoming products, and will receive a discount on RatPrints products and additional percentage off during sales.
Moreover, Patreon (Ratreon?) members will have a say in what products are designed and released next, exclusive access to Basil's Bargain Bin (a collection of heavily discounted products with slight printing defects), and a say in what charitable product donations RatPrints makes next.
My hope is that the Patreon will be able to provide enough income for me to survive so that I can focus on utilizing RatPrints revenue to improve and expand the business. I also understand that this might not be a realistic goal.
My second step will be to seek part time or full time employment separate of RatPrints, hopefully providing enough income to survive while also continuing the business. This route may lead to less time being spent on new products, but would allow me to slowly build up RatPrints until it's more sustainable.
Finally, branching out in this case would also mean dedicating resources to non-rat specific and non-pet specific products. There are a plethora of 3D printed items that are highly profitable and sell well, and while I will maintain my current standard of only selling products I design (or in conjunction with other artists, as with Rattered Hive's stickers) I may have to shift more towards chasing popular trends out of practicality.
Conclusion
I certainly didn't mean to make this post so long, and I certainly hope it's not as depressing as it feels. If you read the whole thing, thank you!
To summarize, it's been one heck of a year for RatPrints, with lots of ups and downs (but more ups than downs). I plan to fight to keep RatPrints alive through 2026, but for practical financial reasons I may have to scale back operations and get a real job or focus in on creating items with a wider appeal (more decorations n such).
I am truly amazed at the kindness of the rat community, and I can't wait to continue into 2026 with all of you!
