i think that they aren’t even close to knowing that yet; dan seems to note down proofgrade solutions all the time. additionally, i can imagine they don’t want to launch the store too early to avoid having competitors start offering cloned materials.
2 Likes
One of the pre-release folks could see what appears in the UI?
1 Like
Are the pre release folks buying Proofgrade materials from Glowforge right now? Are they discounted? Are they given free stuff to do specific things to do with their “loaned” machines?
From what I can gather from the posts, they’re getting a starter pack and then getting additional material as they ask for it. But maybe one of them will pop in.
1 Like
@dan has mentioned that the proofgrade material should be on-par pricewise with other similar materials. The variable there being what is considered ‘similar’.
Your ‘material-debt’ is gonna reflect the type and quality of the materials you buy. If you plan to work with mainly cardboard and paper you could get away with very little cost. If you want perfectly knot-free prefinished walnut for every project, it’s gonna be more $. Fresh new leather can be expensive, but used leather coats may be found cheap.
If you can find local businesses or manufacturers who produce scraps that they pay to dispose of, you could pay nothing but gas money to go pick the stuff up. If you are willing to do some labor, you might find some great material resources on craigslist, or Nextdoor, or facebook, from people wanting an old cedar fence removed, or hardwood pallets, or boxes… but that often requires a pickup truck and maybe some demolition tools.
I guess it really depends on what you are thinking of making!
8 Likes
Also keep in mind when considering pricing that the proofgrade woods (that we’ve seen) are pre-finished. So it may cost more up front, but it’ll eliminate sanding/finishing/drytimes. No dust, no smell, no fuss. Not sure if ALL the wood will be pre-finished or not, but the stuff we’ve seen that is, is gorgeous.
There are photos of some proofgrade in the thread below, and as marmak says in there, all he had to do is remove the masking.
7 Likes
From what I understand the starter pack for the Pre-Release users has varied from person to person. I received 1/8" Maple Plywood and Hardwood, Acrylic and leather. There have been other Proofgrade woods received by some. What is included with the machine is a small subset of what will be in any future materials store.
Glowforge isn’t supplying the Pre-Release folks with an endless amount of Proofgrade. Still have to be careful with a modest supply. Looking forward to getting more with my own machine.
13 Likes
@rubbersoul79 posted a pic of a truckload of fence she dismantled, loaded and absconded with.
Clearly a woman you don’t want to get in the way of…
8 Likes
I’m very interested in this as well. Hopefully we get some more information soon!
1 Like
The store is available to prerelease and beta customers only right now. Prices are definitely not final. We give them credit to use in the store, but a limited amount.
12 Likes
He posted it on Craigslist for free… I did not abscond! Lol although my neighbor just tore down a fence and OCD dismantled it picket by picket and put it on the curb. I will be absconding in the morning. LoL 
17 Likes
Okay, since dan outed that it exists I’ll say this much, I’ve used my credits and a bit more in the store and to me, everything is quite reasonable for what you are getting. I don’t want to give a list as everything is beta and subject to change. There is a lot to be added over the next months but what is there is top notch and hassle free but like everything, some will think the prices are too hight and try to source everything elsewhere. If no one else supports it I’ll probably keep it open myself.with monthly orders. 
Just looking at one example, the plywood, it is around 30-40 percent more than the same size sheet elsewhere BUT the proofgrade is knot free, finished, mask, and coded for automatic settings. So all in all, a good deal in my book.
16 Likes
Interesting. That’s a heavy uptick. Not sure the mask & finish is worth that much extra to me. Might be for the casual home crafter but hard to tell if the labor savings will offset the price. Especially if you’re used to buying in large sizes and cutting it down - when I buy Baltic Birch the price delta as I go up from the small 12x12in size is less than half the pro-rata cost per square foot and declining until the difference between the two largest sizes is only about $5. I think it reflects the number of cuts needed to take a 60x60 sheet down all the way to 12x12.
3 Likes
When the time comes, give it a try and see. You are not locked into it by any means. I figure there are some that will only use it once, others will be a mixed bag (I fall here), and still others will use it exclusively.
2 Likes
I figure I will be a mixed bag myself. When I’m just cutting a present for family or a friend proofgrade will be very tempting just to save me time (labor) and to make sure it cuts and engraves right the first time (because I will have procrastinated no doubt). For the things I’m planning to fabricate and sell I will probably weigh the cost against potential profits and just see. I for one like that this is being offered, I think it can be a big plus and hope they even work out some kind of OS distribution eventually (doesn’t affect me, but I like to be fair 
). The fact that we can do either, Proofgrade or self-sourced, is great in my book.
9 Likes
If you are working commercially, at least in certain situations, you could charge a premium for using Proofgrade… or charge a processing fee for working on non-proofgrade.
12 Likes
Very true. It will be interesting to see how it works out once things go live.
Please note that current pricing is beta, and may change significantly. Of course, that’s always true of prices, but especially true right now.
11 Likes
Was just wondering the same thing, glad I found the this thread.
1 Like