The biggest cost is probably the manual labor that goes into finishing a part. 3D printers are hardly analogous to the current state of paper printers: all of the technologies require some form of post processing (cutting away supports, curing materials, sanding, etc.).
Most of the discussion I see about 3D printers ignores the significant amount of physical effort you have to put into a part if it will be used for anything (and depending on the method, just to see the part).
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The biggest cost is probably the manual labor that goes into finishing a part. 3D printers are hardly analogous to the current state of paper printers: all of the technologies require some form of post processing (cutting away supports, curing materials, sanding, etc.).
Most of the discussion I see about 3D printers ignores the significant amount of physical effort you have to put into a part if it will be used for anything (and depending on the method, just to see the part).