Good point about a display piece versus an operational part. However 3Dprinting the part is still a usefulapproach. 3Dprinting a "plastic" part first is a very good way of checking form, fit and possibly function before investing in manufacturing something more expensive. And when you do decide to make a metal part, most and maybe all of your previous efforts can be reused. The CAD solid model is still valid in most respects and you can find suppliers who will print the part in a variety of metals. Or with the appropriate manufacturability adjustments to your CAD model you can use it to generate the code for CNC milling.
Phil