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As you mention there have been recent breakthroughs in 3d metal printing using the laser sintering process. But as you mention the price for “printers using that process is still cost prohibitive for consumers.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/3d-printing-makes-stainless-steel-three-times-stronger/

However there are currently relatively inexpensive filaments available which have a high metal content... typically bronze or aluminum that can be used in “open source” consumer grade 3D Printers. They are used for producing objects that have a metallic appearance. They are typically used for making jewelry or small cast looking busts or sculptures. Some of these filaments are designed to be placed in an oven or kiln later for a sintering process to take place.

You can also purchase filament with wood powder to make 3D prints that look like they were carved. In the past year specialty filaments such as these have become more inexpensive and available.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=metal+filament

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wood+filament&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Awood+filament

My wife and I often make reproduction buttons for old military uniforms. The easiest way we know to do this currently is to make a mold from one of the buttons we do have, press Polymer clay into the mold, add a wire loop to the rear and then bake the clay in the oven. You can buy clay that has a metallic appearance and the results are amazing without having to own basically any equipment. We also sometimes cast small metal objects, but that takes special equipment and knowledge.

We can also print buttons and other reproduction objects with the 3D printer but designing an exact reproduction 3D object file can be very time consuming.

At this point I have actually spent considerably more money on specialty filaments than what it cost initially to purchase the 3D printer. I have filaments which make flexible gaskets, filaments which produce super strong nylon alloy parts which are fuel and wear resistant, and a variety of filaments in different colors and appearance that look neat... its a hobby.