Aotrs Shipyards April 2024 Release: T-55AM and VAB 6×6 VTT

[Aotrs Shipyards]

Aotrs Shipyards April 2024 Release: T-55AM and VAB 6×6 VTT

This month, I have the VAB VTT six-wheeled (export) version and thanks, to a swathe of commissions that will be filling out the releases for the next few months, the T-55AM.

(For the record, I went back through and attempted to work out exactly what the T-55 I already do actually was – it being early enough I wasn’t so rigorous) and it is to the best of my assertions, a T-55A, which I have amended in places where it wouldn’t break existing links!)

April is also the tax return form month, so the period I take stock of the year’s gains. There is a more sober discourse on that, but I moved that to the end, so you can skip that if you want and concentrate on the 144th releases.

VAB 6×6 VTT

MMF (file) $0.85

Physical Print
Only-Games £3.23

Shapeways $6.71

FDM £3.30

T-55AM

MMF (file) $1.25

Physical Print
Only-Games £5.25

Shapeways $10.48

FDM £4.00
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Only-Games Store Status
Current Ko-fi Total: £112 => Only-Games Subscription costs met until 19th July 2024 (£100).
New Goal: £12/£50 towards next goal => Costs for until 19th September 2024:
Ko-fi link

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Photos of Prusa version, as always.

Next month there are several things in the queue BMD-3, 2S25 Sprut SD, T-55AMV, and in the to-be-done queue are the BMD-4 and ERC 90 (my oppos at Manoeuvre Group want that for the French for Partizan).

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Aotrs Shipyards Financial Report 2023-2024

Being the tax season, I run April-April for yearly profits, so this marks the first point I can sensibly look back and see what overall effect MyMiniFactory has had (very positive) and HMRC kicking me off working tax credits (quite bad) has had on my financial status.

I haven’t previously up out and stated things previously like this, but as I pride myself on being open, honest and transparent with you guts, especially with having to set the Only-Games Store to kofi funding, I feel I ought make a report.

Before I go into this, though, I want to make a few things clear, so as to set the context as I don’t want to unduly alarm people with the stark numbers.

I live with my parents, and aside from a token rent, I basically do all the housework and look after my Mum (disabled) and do all the general sorting out for the household, which basically is my real rent. (I don’t qualify for diddly-squat help otherwise.) I am thus not in immediate danger of losing the house or going hungry or anything like that currently. My expenses, then, are basically that rent, the subscriptions and other upkeep for the Shipyards (image hosting, MMF subscription, off-site back-up), my national insurance and dental bills, pension (I don’t feel I can rely on my state pension in another 02 years with the state of the world), so it is comparatively low. (But I am VERY acutely aware of the knife-edge I’m balancing on). The money from working tax credit basically kept me solvent. With that gone, it means the Shipyards is entirely responsible for my income.

Overall, discounting the kofi donations, the Shipyards made about as much as last year (£672). Notably, as this year is one in which my image-hosting costs came up, until MMF kicked in, it was looking like my worst year on record, with MMF bringing in about £600 in the six months it has been open, VERY clearly showing where the money is. If that continues, next year could be my biggest year yet.

That said, the overall effect on my finances has been losing about £1400 since August (but as that includes Christmas and £200 paying back the job centre what they decided they overpaid me, that’s some spike charges in there as well, and it is not quite that bad month-to-month).

Thus, the fairly stark look is that even if MMF does as well every six months, it still isn’t keeping pace with my personal running costs, so I have, basically, about 2-3 years before I am broke if nothing changes.

So, what am I doing about it? For the moment, nothing drastic. I want at least a full year at MMF under my belt before I make any major changes like price increases or commission price increases. As word-of-mouth is getting round, stuff is going more and more frequently, and I have just had a load of commissions after more-or-less and entire year with none (commissions previously making the bulk of my income). If, for example, the impossible happens and I win the Only-Games UK Expo design competition and my model gets handed out to 10000 people, you would like to think would have a positive effect.

(It is unfortunate that we can’t actually make it to Expo this year; but as we are down to only three shows, all at the Newark Showgrounds, I would like to try next year.)

What about Patreon et al? I am certainly aware of the option, but I haven’t looked at it in anger, partly because I simply don’t know what I could offer more than I already have for the various tiers. Early access? (Meaning effectively at least a month’s delay for everyone else, because I don’t – can’t work more in advance than I already do.) MMF has a Tribes, but I think that’s more or less the same sort of thing, but looking into that is something to consider down the line.

In the meantime, I have the lore book and after that, hopefully fleet lists for Accelerate and attack, which might drum up some interest as a another revenue stream.

So until this time next year, things will remain much as they are, until stuff has settled a bit. It might be that next year, I do have to consider something like price increases (something I don’t especially want to do, just on the sheer amount of effort it takes) and commission cost increases (something I haven’t changed since I started in 2010). Consider this is advance warning, then, if that does come to be the case. But unless something drastic happens (like MMF doubles its subscription or worse), I intend to leave the pricing where it is at least until next April and ideally not have to do it at all.

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