Early Adopter

I just ordered a molded parts kit from BitsFromBytes. That'll tack another $400 onto my costs, bringing the total up to about $1200. Now, that may seem like a lot for something that may or may not work and that you have to put together yourself. On the other hand, you could look at RepRap as the 3D printing equivalent of the Apple 1 or Altair. If you adjust for inflation, those kits would cost about $2000 today.