SAN ANTONIO – The excitement surrounding the San Antonio Spurs’ playoff run is also creating a business boom for one San Antonio family turning team pride into custom 3D printed merchandise.
The Olivares family, owners of Gidgets Gadget Shop, said what started as creating small printed items has quickly grown into a thriving small business fueled by Spurs fans eager for unique collectibles.
“We want to bring little bits of joy to people,” Erica Olivares said. “Especially those with ADHD, we have clickers that can help them get a little more focused during the day. But with something cute.”
The family said they were first approached about creating Spurs-themed can koozie holders before expanding into player-inspired magnets featuring stars like Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
“We were watching the Spurs game, and I was like, ‘I wonder if we can just make a Wemby magnet,’” Joey Olivares said. “So, I got on the computer and started drawing and ended up with that guy and this was our first one. And then, we came up with a Castle.”
The magnets quickly gained attention online after the family posted a video on TikTok.
“I made a video, put him on TikTok. Was not expecting for it to get the exposure that it did,” Erica Olivares said. “So, we were overwhelmed, but so happy.”
The family said the printing process is detailed and time-consuming. Each figurine magnet takes nearly a full day to complete using 3D printers.
According to the family, designs are first created digitally before being converted into files that are then sent to the printer.
“We draw them up, we put it in the program, it creates a file and then, we send it to the printer,” Olivares said. “And then the printer does all the work.”
The family said Castle magnets take about 26 hours to print while Wembanyama magnets take around 22 hours.
The custom magnets are currently being sold through the business’s Facebook and TikTok pages.
The family said they are already working on additional Spurs-themed creations as playoff excitement continues across the Alamo City.
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