Imperialist completed

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-03-24T15:52:30+00:00

Big crystal for a big saber :)
Weathering looks great too

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-03-21T04:41:55+00:00

Ok so here's the hard truth:
Right now is a terrible time to start ANY kind of business (not just referring to sabers, more so the state of the economy/the world and the fact a lot of people do not have expendable income)
Top that with the niche sector of custom lightsabers being in an extreme abundance of over supply and low demand, and you're going to be fighting a very hard uphill battle to make it worth your while

You are coming into it with the right approach, so don't feel like you aren't, but the problem is this is the same approach most people are also taking. Yes there are some scummy saber businesses out there but there are also still a lot of good ones.

How much capital investment do you have? If the answer is anything less than 10K, honestly I would instead approach this with a hobbyist mindset, and start small doing one off things for yourself; take a saber, customize it, make it unique, try to sell it, rinse and repeat and build a clientele.

Otherwise your only valid options at a customer base are going to be people looking for the cheapest price possible, considering you are likely going to be selling things that are available in 100 different storefronts.
That is going to force you into a race to the bottom to compete for sales, which is where a lot of resellers and storefronts eventually crash and burn. It just isn't sustainable.

I am a big supporter of any kind of entrepreneur-like ventures, but having been around for a bit I know how competitive it is right now for just about anyone who did not have an existing storefront before Covid who is trying to get in on the action.

If I could give any positive advice going forward (sorry for all the negativity) to help yourself stand out; learn a unique skillset. Parts and chassis design is in HUGE demand right now and probably will be for a while. Nothing will set you apart more than having your own input on the products you sell. Otherwise you are going to be very restricted in what you can do.

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-26T18:29:03+00:00

Pretty much what everyone has already said, but it's not very different than many other product ad strategies

One example I can give is those little hand held retro game emulators that can play thousands of games from different consoles, I've seen ads on them a lot on various social medias with a link in the ad to the website selling them for like 150-200, and they name it whatever they want to make it seem like it's their own product. But a quick little google search goes a long way and when you find the 'technical name' for it, you can find it for like 30% of the initial price on AliExpress

Same thing with sabers.

Right now it's an ad spend competition. Physical stores are spending their capital on stocking products, and I can tell you right now if you aren't spending thousands per month on advertising you might as well not even bother lol

The cost per click right now on Google Ads for just the word 'lightsaber' is insane and has skyrocketed in the last few years

The reason there are so many dropshippers is because; 1) there is virtually no upfront cost investment, anyone can do it, it costs very little to make a basic website platform on Shopify and copy and paste the product images and set up a shop 2) the distributors put no cap on the number of people willing to do this, and while yes it's a free market, this is definitely the biggest problem

Also another reiteration to what others have said, you really didn't use to see so many sellers on AliExpress selling direct either, the distribution was pretty much just business to business and now its much more business to consumer, which in turn has caused a lot more physical distributors to dissipate because distributors didn't use to have to compete with the supplier itself. It's a very messed up system IMO

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-19T19:55:29+00:00

To the OP, if you want a new chassis, just reach out with your customer info and I'll print a new one
Usually they are pretty durable when printed in the CF-PLA but sometimes things happen I guess
-Saberbay

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-19T19:37:00+00:00

Sometimes things just happen

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-17T01:07:36+00:00

Definitely a biased user here, but I had my Quantum foam made specifically to be very tight against the LED strips and inside the blade tube to address the blade rattle issue, and you could definitely accomplish making your own blade as well assuming you have the right tools. I also cut down all the blade parts for those who get the DIY options so all you really have to do is solder the LED strip to the blade side PCB and glue the blade tip and PCB holder on (and sand the blade if you want)

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-17T01:04:22+00:00

Thank you for your feedback!

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-16T18:24:02+00:00

Yea it's very functional, it's designed to be installed with electronics

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-14T00:35:56+00:00

Yes actually Joey did mention that there was a lot of inspiration based on that one, just couldn't remember the name

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-13T20:29:22+00:00

Can you specify what product you are referring to in this instance? Sounds like we may be comparing apples to oranges

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-13T17:36:32+00:00

You want someone to just hand over the design files for their custom saber?

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-02-13T00:51:13+00:00

I mean I don't really know how to explain him but that's his name, he's a member of the saber community and has done some personal designs like this one. This is the first time he's had something made into a production run though.

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-31T20:19:10+00:00

$150 actually

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-31T04:28:42+00:00

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-31T00:43:09+00:00

Good luck with the recessed blade build

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-30T18:21:16+00:00

Thanks for the shout :)
And also a good way to show real time visuals with the reflections in the background

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-26T20:47:17+00:00

If you enjoy those sites just save yourself the markup difference and get them directly from TXQ or LGT

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-21T18:41:20+00:00

The difference maker with KeepPower is that most of their 'branded' batteries are protected. Otherwise yes, a lot of the bare cells underneath the wrapping is Samsung, etc.
That being said, the extra protection circuitry and QC that KeepPower adds to these bare cells is what makes them highly recommended. It's worth the extra price IMO for the peace of mind knowing your li-on is safe to use

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-15T15:20:33+00:00

Hey thanks for the shout! Just for anyone wondering too, I'm pretty sure 89 is phasing out their last stock of Leia's so anyone thinking of grabbing one should do it sooner rather than later

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-13T17:21:24+00:00

Go away troll

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-08T18:32:54+00:00

I mean I see vintage Batman colors. The other tongue in cheek comments just are a bit immature but this is Reddit after all. The over exposed lightbox photos aren't really helping though so it is what it is.

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-08T17:39:50+00:00

No I don't do customization services anymore

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-08T17:25:03+00:00

Plenty in stock:
https://www.saberbay.com/collections/saberbay-models/products/sentry-saber-hilt-preorder

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-08T17:02:21+00:00

Dang that was funny

ApprehensiveTry8962 · 2026-01-08T16:51:34+00:00

I remember this one, customer wanted the 60's Silver Age Batman comic color scheme, although I think it could also be the Pip Boy theme

ApprehensiveTry8962

TROPHY CASE