The wait is over for Kansas Citians to create lifelike 3D models of themselves or family. The region’s very own Doob studio opened in Overland Park on June 15.
Doob is a photo-to-3D technology that captures an individual, group or animal and 3D prints it into a figurine.
Local co-owners Nick Nikkhah and Malik James discovered Doob USA and became enamored with the technology.
“Doob originated in Dusseldorf, Germany, and it was used for medical purposes. They decided to commercialize it and bring it to the public, at which point it migrated to New York. That’s where our headquarters is,” Nikkhah said. “About 14 months ago, I ran across this, and I was giddy like a little kid. … I reached out to them in every which way you can and let them know that I have to be a part of this. So here we are, and now we’re partners with them, and we’re looking to expand from the heart of the country out.”
With only four other locations in the U.S. — San Francisco, Los Angeles and two in New York — Kansas City joins Doob USA as its latest company store partner. Nikkah and James see the Midwest as a particularly strong market for the brand.
“Nick and I are from Kansas City and we love this town, but more importantly we have the opinion of why wait? Why wait for a trend to leave the coast and take that three year period to meet us here? What we need to do instead is start in the core of the nation and radiate out from there,” James said.
“We believe that we will outperform the coastal stores simply because this is a family product. This is a warm product. This is a product with a collective appeal. So anything from little leaguers to grandparents, to gamers, to people who just love looking at themselves, people who want to memorialize memories, people who want to show off something neat. There are more of those faces here in town than I believe that are going to patronize on the coast.”
Doobs are initially offered in four core sizes — 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-inches — but any custom size can be created. The cost begins at $95 and goes up $100 for every two inches. Doobs have become popular for wedding cake toppers, graduations, family milestones and more.
Nikkah said Doob uses the most sophisticated 3D printers. The process is called photogrammetry; the “doobicator” captures 66 images simultaneously that are then created into a dominant overlapping file. That file is then used to create the 3D figure.
“When someone gets Doobed, you can look at them and see their personality and emotion within the Doobs,” James said.
The Doob KC store is located in The Fountains shopping center at 6511 W. 119th St., Overland Park.
