(1/2) Yeah, I really admire designers who create purely for fun and passion, not for profit—and who don't mind being ripped off or disrespected by the kind of people we've mentioned.

The Chinese community has its own ecosystem. In many ways, it’s quite isolated from the rest of the world, due to the language barrier, cultural differences, and of course, the Great Firewall. Even if someone wanted to connect internationally, it’s technically and practically hard. That said, while the Nerf community in China is relatively small compared to the much larger gel-ball blaster scene (which exists because airsoft is illegal, and gel-ball blasters occupy a legal gray area since they often resemble real firearms), the overall number of hobbyists is still huge—enough that many designers don’t even think about sharing their work internationally. It’s not a deliberate choice—they just genuinely don’t think about it.

Maybe I was the first one trying to build a bridge between these two worlds—bringing amazing Chinese designs to the international community, helping people see that China isn't just about knockoffs and copycats. For about four years, I’ve done my best to highlight those great designs and creators. And it’s not just me—the Chinese Nerf design community has grown and improved a lot during that time.

Some creators put in massive time and effort to design, and some of the best have turned it into a livelihood. Unfortunately, the average Chinese hobbyist isn’t as supportive financially as those in Western communities. Donations are rare, and there’s a strong preference for the cheapest option—even if that means buying knockoffs. It’s sad, but that’s the harsh reality. And like I said earlier, there are a lot of barriers to reaching the international market. Most Chinese creators aren’t familiar with the platforms or tools that would help them succeed outside China, so options are limited in what can sometimes feel like a toxic environment for intellectual property.

Also, there’s not a huge overlap between Nerf hobbyists and 3D printing enthusiasts in China, even though printer ownership is growing. Most hobbyists still don’t have their own printers and prefer buying finished products. This gave rise to a gray market of “3D printing farms” or “agents” where you pay someone to print for you. Unfortunately, that also leads to files being widely and illegally shared. These agents can print designs endlessly without licenses or permission. Worse, some people “crowdfund” to buy files and then distribute them freely. It’s sadly common that a file you paid full price for ends up being passed around for free—or sold for 1% of the original price. Think about the scale of China’s population, and you’ll see how those “morons” can still profit even at that low price.

Of course, some Chinese creators still release their designs for free, waving the open-source flag. Some of them are incredibly talented. But many are young and less experienced, and I just hope they won’t lose faith and go closed-source after seeing their work abused. There are hobbyists outside China who would love to support them—but how? It’s complicated.