Stories from Vienna

A real-life goldsmith for video gamers, Febo brings his passion for the online medium to life through his craft. In doing so, he isn’t only expanding his customer base, but also ensuring his business remains future-proof.

The sword really is something else: Crafted from gold, silver, wood and resin, the double-edged blade is edged with razor-sharp thorns and inlaid with dark runes that glow in blacklight. The horns of two ram skulls snake around the cross-guard. All this detail is packed into an object just 11.5 centimeters long.

Febo is master goldsmith and sole proprietor of the Vienna-based jeweler Goldschmiede Manufaktur Avalone. In addition to classic items like engagement rings and pendants, he makes arguably some of the nerdiest luxury jewelry products out there: pocket-sized, video game-based weapons.

Goldschmied Febo bei seiner Arbeit in seinem Atelier. — “I’m a freak,” explains Febo, as we sit in his workshop at a sun-flooded table he designed himself. “I like to sit for hundreds of hours at a time and build very, very complex things.”

Freaks und Geeks

The tiny sword is Frostmourne, from the wildly successful video game World of Warcraft. Febo is one of 3.2 billion gaming fans around the world, powering a market projected to be worth over 256 billion US dollars by 2025, with its own class of neo-millionaires.

“Every group that has lots of money wants customized products,” says Febo. “There are people whose whole lives are inside this or that game. They sit at their computers for 16 hours a day—and could have these miniatures on display beside them, right next to their keyboards.”

Millions of people stream competitive video games—also known as e-sports—on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and elite players can win seven-figure sums, as well as earn salaries, sponsorships and paid subscriptions.

“I love my craft. I love my passion. But it's hard to find customers. I thought: How can I make this work?”

Owner of Avalone

Febo

Riding the rise of online gaming

Febo’s artworks require expensive materials and countless man-hours. “I love my craft. I love my passion. But it’s hard to find buyers. I thought: how can I make this work?” Enter Febo’s plan: making-of videos that generate YouTube views—and eventually, ad revenue.

After playing video games, research shows, Gen Z’s second favorite entertainment activity is watching videos. Around 95% of 18-to-29 year-olds stream YouTube, according to a 2021 study of US Americans, and 61% of Gen Z describe themselves as “super fans” of someone or something—making fan communities “central to the entertainment experience”.

Within its first month, Febo’s recently launched YouTube channel got 32,000 clicks with a single video, boosted by mentions in online gaming media and forums. It was even shown at a major Chinese gaming event. Result: Febo makes his favorite things, YouTube viewers watch, his work gets famous.

last update: 22-07-2024