By Tim Lee
Remember the days when you were a kid and how you used to enjoy playing with dolls. Well things have not changed much nowadays and despite the fact that we have hi-fi games and other interesting toys, there is nothing that can replace the value of a doll, in the heart of kids, especially girls. Young girls spend so much time in their make-believe world, attending to their dolls, washing them, feeling them, telling lullabies to them and finally... at bedtime... putting them to sleep. A dollhouse is where they put their dear dolls to sleep.
Some of them feel sad when they notice that there is hardly any furniture in the doll house. There are many means to overcome this problem if you have the will. Check out the net and you will find many sites that specialize in doll dresses and other accessories including doll houses and also furniture for doll houses. Your best bet to get proper furniture for a dollhouse is through these establishments. Some of those dollhouse furniture are amazing in the fact that they are exact replicas of the real stuff, just scaled down in size.
This means that the inflatable pillows can be inflated and the folding chairs and tables can be folded. However, there are certain limits, so do not expect the iron to get warm. You'll never find any power outlet so tiny that it will accommodate the plug of the miniature toy iron. However, the dollhouse furniture does not end at that. The water in the kitchen and the bathroom do have flowing water supplied from a miniature water tank atop the dollhouse. You can also find cute beds of different sizes and shapes in the websites and stores that specialize in dollhouse furniture.
However, these goods come at a premium and you should be prepared to shell out a handsome sum of money for them. If you have the inclination, you can make dollhouse furniture by yourself if you have a creative bent of mind. There are many things lying about in your house that can be used to make dollhouse furniture. Remember the old shoe box? If you cut and paste it properly, you can use that to make a tiny bed for your doll. All it requires is some imagination from your side. You can also decorate the same using old dresses for the upholstery.
The main fun of making the dollhouse furniture by yourself is the personal touch that will be missing if you use furniture purchased from the store. You just require a bottle of glue, some cotton wool for the stuffing and cloth from old clothes and you are ready to prepare the bed. In the same way, you can also make small tables, tools and other furniture that you find in your own room. Some imaginative persons have even built 2 tired beds for their dollhouse. Be careful when you allow kids to work with sharp instruments like scissors. It would be better if you did the cuttings part and left them to do the pasting.
To learn more about dollhouse furniture, visit http://www.dollhousefurniture101.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Lee
Showing posts with label Doll. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Doll. Show all posts
Locating Dollhouse & Miniature Events
By Lily Morgan
Anyone that enjoys a particular hobby knows the joy that comes with the expression and enjoyment of that hobby. Dollhouse and miniature collectors are certainly no different. There are a large number of great events and exhibits that showcase and celebrate all things related to dollhouse collecting. For those seeking out these events, it may seem somewhat elusive at first. Though dollhouse exhibits are not as popular as some hobbies, it definitely has a market that is thriving throughout the years. If you're new to miniature collecting you may need to hit up a variety of sources. However, once you get started you will quickly uncover them all.
The first place to begin your search for dollhouse events is on the internet. It is the best and most utilized source for information currently and will likely remain that way for a long time to come. Browse hobby sites or local newspaper classifieds to find out if there is anything happening in your town or city. A hobby forum that has many visitors will also be a good location to get information.
Some collectors might be surprised to learn that there are miniature festivals held in major cities all over the world. From Denver to New York, there are enough events to keep the entire country satisfied. Many of these cities also have miniature museums so be sure to check them out for upcoming event information as well.
Every year New York City is the host to the American International Toy Fair. This toy festival includes many fun items but it also has a special devotion to dollhouses and miniatures. It draws people from all over the place for one great event that can't be missed if you are a true miniature lover. New York City is home of many things and dollhouse collecting is just another fantastic thing to find in the Big Apple.
In Birmingham, UK there is a large miniature event called Miniatura. It is one of the largest miniature shows in the entire world. There are well over two hundred and fifty vendors there for collectors to browse and admire. That is certainly more than enough for keeping even the hardest to please collector entertained.
The Seattle Dollhouse has been hosting miniature shows ever since 1978. They have enough years behind them to be considered one of the best American shows for dollhouse collectors. In this large city, there are many dollhouse collectors that have an interest in the various exhibits that visit the city. There are vendors on hand from all over the world to answer questions and display their products that can be purchased by collectors.
See the website for The Seattle Dollhouse for all information regarding location and event dates and times. They will be able to provide you with visiting hours as well as things like admission costs. Many of these facilities need volunteers to assist their organization. If this interests you, contact them for more information. There are many dollhouse and miniature events throughout the world. Utilize the resources available to you and you will pinpoint them with ease.
Visit the place for dollhouses and miniatures. Find everything from play dollhouses for young children to grand mansions for collectors. We specialize in miniature dollhouse kits for every skill level and budget. And don't forget the dollhouse furniture! Visit us online at http://www.TheMagicalDollhouse.com today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lily_Morgan
Anyone that enjoys a particular hobby knows the joy that comes with the expression and enjoyment of that hobby. Dollhouse and miniature collectors are certainly no different. There are a large number of great events and exhibits that showcase and celebrate all things related to dollhouse collecting. For those seeking out these events, it may seem somewhat elusive at first. Though dollhouse exhibits are not as popular as some hobbies, it definitely has a market that is thriving throughout the years. If you're new to miniature collecting you may need to hit up a variety of sources. However, once you get started you will quickly uncover them all.
The first place to begin your search for dollhouse events is on the internet. It is the best and most utilized source for information currently and will likely remain that way for a long time to come. Browse hobby sites or local newspaper classifieds to find out if there is anything happening in your town or city. A hobby forum that has many visitors will also be a good location to get information.
Some collectors might be surprised to learn that there are miniature festivals held in major cities all over the world. From Denver to New York, there are enough events to keep the entire country satisfied. Many of these cities also have miniature museums so be sure to check them out for upcoming event information as well.
Every year New York City is the host to the American International Toy Fair. This toy festival includes many fun items but it also has a special devotion to dollhouses and miniatures. It draws people from all over the place for one great event that can't be missed if you are a true miniature lover. New York City is home of many things and dollhouse collecting is just another fantastic thing to find in the Big Apple.
In Birmingham, UK there is a large miniature event called Miniatura. It is one of the largest miniature shows in the entire world. There are well over two hundred and fifty vendors there for collectors to browse and admire. That is certainly more than enough for keeping even the hardest to please collector entertained.
The Seattle Dollhouse has been hosting miniature shows ever since 1978. They have enough years behind them to be considered one of the best American shows for dollhouse collectors. In this large city, there are many dollhouse collectors that have an interest in the various exhibits that visit the city. There are vendors on hand from all over the world to answer questions and display their products that can be purchased by collectors.
See the website for The Seattle Dollhouse for all information regarding location and event dates and times. They will be able to provide you with visiting hours as well as things like admission costs. Many of these facilities need volunteers to assist their organization. If this interests you, contact them for more information. There are many dollhouse and miniature events throughout the world. Utilize the resources available to you and you will pinpoint them with ease.
Visit the place for dollhouses and miniatures. Find everything from play dollhouses for young children to grand mansions for collectors. We specialize in miniature dollhouse kits for every skill level and budget. And don't forget the dollhouse furniture! Visit us online at http://www.TheMagicalDollhouse.com today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lily_Morgan
Home Sweet Doll House
By Rachel Nunez
One of the misconceptions about doll houses is that these miniatures bring the owner to some sort of a fantasy world or to some a Neverland far away. Most people did not find it hard to believe. Their belief is not without good basis. After all, a doll house is just a make-believe and a toy.
The truth is, a doll house or any toy for that matter helps people get in touch with reality. Toys have their playful way of reminding their owners that there is a real world out there. In the case of doll houses, these miniatures reminds us that no matter where and how far we go, there is always this place we call home that we have not stop loving.
Decorating a Kidkraft doll house is just one of the activities that keep us in touch with our feelings for our respective real homes. When applying paint on a doll house for example, you apply as much care and diligence as when painting your own home to get a smooth finish. There are other ways of decorating a doll house with which you can express how much you care for your real home. Aside form painting, there are other ways to decorate your doll house which include:
- Wallpapering
- Carpeting
- Tiling
- Creating stone work
- Cladding the walls in wood
The most common decorating ways that most doll house owners prefer are painting, wallpapering and carpeting being the easiest to do. Carpeting for example does not require as much technical knowledge as would creating stone work. You need to have a little more experience before moving on to tiling, creating stone work, and wood cladding.
Painting is by far the easiest to do because you do not have to worry much about getting the right scale. All you need is to choose the color scheme of your choice. When painting the walls of your doll house, you can create a pleasing effect by adding trim work and moldings. It is best to use a non acrylic based paint. Wallpapering and carpeting need an entirely different approach, besides choosing the right color scheme, you need to find a carpet or wallpaper that is the right scale for your doll house. The same approach apply to tiling.
If you think wallpapering is only good and is limited to your doll house's interior you are underestimating the beauty of wallpapers. There are lots brick papers to give the exterior an authentic look. Do not also underestimate the type of wall paper adhesive you are using since this will result to sloppy work. Do use special paper adhesive that are available in doll house stores.
There are available wooden flooring that is scaled and ready to lay down making it easier for you to work on the flooring. However, if you are using cabinet grade plywood you may stain and give it a good finish to give it a natural wood appeal.
A well decorated Kidkraft doll house is just too good to be true.
For more tips and information about dollhouses, check out http://www.thekidstoystore.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Nunez
One of the misconceptions about doll houses is that these miniatures bring the owner to some sort of a fantasy world or to some a Neverland far away. Most people did not find it hard to believe. Their belief is not without good basis. After all, a doll house is just a make-believe and a toy.
The truth is, a doll house or any toy for that matter helps people get in touch with reality. Toys have their playful way of reminding their owners that there is a real world out there. In the case of doll houses, these miniatures reminds us that no matter where and how far we go, there is always this place we call home that we have not stop loving.
Decorating a Kidkraft doll house is just one of the activities that keep us in touch with our feelings for our respective real homes. When applying paint on a doll house for example, you apply as much care and diligence as when painting your own home to get a smooth finish. There are other ways of decorating a doll house with which you can express how much you care for your real home. Aside form painting, there are other ways to decorate your doll house which include:
- Wallpapering
- Carpeting
- Tiling
- Creating stone work
- Cladding the walls in wood
The most common decorating ways that most doll house owners prefer are painting, wallpapering and carpeting being the easiest to do. Carpeting for example does not require as much technical knowledge as would creating stone work. You need to have a little more experience before moving on to tiling, creating stone work, and wood cladding.
Painting is by far the easiest to do because you do not have to worry much about getting the right scale. All you need is to choose the color scheme of your choice. When painting the walls of your doll house, you can create a pleasing effect by adding trim work and moldings. It is best to use a non acrylic based paint. Wallpapering and carpeting need an entirely different approach, besides choosing the right color scheme, you need to find a carpet or wallpaper that is the right scale for your doll house. The same approach apply to tiling.
If you think wallpapering is only good and is limited to your doll house's interior you are underestimating the beauty of wallpapers. There are lots brick papers to give the exterior an authentic look. Do not also underestimate the type of wall paper adhesive you are using since this will result to sloppy work. Do use special paper adhesive that are available in doll house stores.
There are available wooden flooring that is scaled and ready to lay down making it easier for you to work on the flooring. However, if you are using cabinet grade plywood you may stain and give it a good finish to give it a natural wood appeal.
A well decorated Kidkraft doll house is just too good to be true.
For more tips and information about dollhouses, check out http://www.thekidstoystore.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Nunez
Doll Collecting - How To Determine A Vintage Doll's Value
By Katharine Swan
Katharine SwanLevel: Basic As a child, Katharine Swan always knew she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. After a rough start, she earned her ...
Do you have vintage dolls packed away in a closet somewhere, saved from your mother’s childhood or perhaps your own? If so, it’s time to break them out -- they might be worth something. However, one of the worst things you can do is to buy a doll values book, look up your dolls, and take to heart whatever the book says. It is important to realize that many things go into determining the value of a doll, and yours may be worth considerably less than the doll values book indicates.
In general, three major factors go into determining a doll’s value. In order to estimate what your vintage doll is worth, you will need to decide how each of these factors apply to your doll.
Demand
Regardless of what the book claims, if there is no demand for your doll you would be unlikely to get that price. High demand means that the doll would sell quite high at auction, or that a doll shop would feel comfortable putting a high price on it. Low demand means that sellers need to drop their prices in order to score a sale.
For instance, doll value books consistently value Madame Alexander International dolls at approximately $75 each. In reality, though, there is very little demand for these dolls, therefore forcing sellers to sell them for a third or less of their "value."
Availability
One of the top ways to determine if your doll is valuable is to check how rare it is. Generally, rarity triggers higher demand, because collectors always want what they can’t have. A rare collectible that is in high demand will have buyers clamoring to get it first, enabling sellers to demand higher prices, and causing auction values to soar.
Again using the first example, during the late 1960s and 1970s, the Madame Alexander Doll Company produced a great many International dolls. As a result, they are abundantly available now (and not selling).
Condition
The factor that many doll owners fail to consider when estimating the value of their doll is the condition the doll is in. Even if a mint Madame Alexander Sweet Violet (a very rare doll from the 1950s) will sell for well over $1,000, a well played-with doll will frequently only get a third or less of that amount.
Doll value books almost always list the prices for a "mint" doll. For a vintage doll to be mint, it literally needs to look just like it would have the day it rolled off the assembly line. For instance, a mint doll needs to:
Be spotlessly clean and unplayed with
Have every single piece of clothing or accessories that she came with
Retain the like-new crispiness in her clothing, known as “sizing”
Have bright face paint, especially the blush on her cheeks
Retain the original, tightly-curled set of her hair
Have her original box and/or hang tag whenever possible
Depending on how many of these qualities your doll has, she may be worth considerably less than the value given by your source. But don’t lose heart -- even "near-mint" and those in "good" condition can be valuable. They just aren’t worth the eye-popping prices that mint dolls typically command.
One of the best ways to determine what your vintage doll is worth is to research the doll on eBay. Search both current and completed listings for dolls similar to yours. To get a true estimate of what your doll is worth, you should look for dolls wearing the same outfit as yours and in approximately the same condition.
Before selling or purchasing a doll, you should always research the current market value using both print and online resources. But remember, even if that family heirloom isn’t worth as much as you thought it was, to you it’s priceless.
Katharine Swan is a longtime doll collector and enthusiast. Also a freelance writer, she has written many articles on collecting and repairing vintage dolls. Her ebook, How to Restring a Strung Doll, can be purchased for only $2.99 at http://dollstringing.katharineswan.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katharine_Swan
Katharine SwanLevel: Basic As a child, Katharine Swan always knew she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. After a rough start, she earned her ...
Do you have vintage dolls packed away in a closet somewhere, saved from your mother’s childhood or perhaps your own? If so, it’s time to break them out -- they might be worth something. However, one of the worst things you can do is to buy a doll values book, look up your dolls, and take to heart whatever the book says. It is important to realize that many things go into determining the value of a doll, and yours may be worth considerably less than the doll values book indicates.
In general, three major factors go into determining a doll’s value. In order to estimate what your vintage doll is worth, you will need to decide how each of these factors apply to your doll.
Demand
Regardless of what the book claims, if there is no demand for your doll you would be unlikely to get that price. High demand means that the doll would sell quite high at auction, or that a doll shop would feel comfortable putting a high price on it. Low demand means that sellers need to drop their prices in order to score a sale.
For instance, doll value books consistently value Madame Alexander International dolls at approximately $75 each. In reality, though, there is very little demand for these dolls, therefore forcing sellers to sell them for a third or less of their "value."
Availability
One of the top ways to determine if your doll is valuable is to check how rare it is. Generally, rarity triggers higher demand, because collectors always want what they can’t have. A rare collectible that is in high demand will have buyers clamoring to get it first, enabling sellers to demand higher prices, and causing auction values to soar.
Again using the first example, during the late 1960s and 1970s, the Madame Alexander Doll Company produced a great many International dolls. As a result, they are abundantly available now (and not selling).
Condition
The factor that many doll owners fail to consider when estimating the value of their doll is the condition the doll is in. Even if a mint Madame Alexander Sweet Violet (a very rare doll from the 1950s) will sell for well over $1,000, a well played-with doll will frequently only get a third or less of that amount.
Doll value books almost always list the prices for a "mint" doll. For a vintage doll to be mint, it literally needs to look just like it would have the day it rolled off the assembly line. For instance, a mint doll needs to:
Be spotlessly clean and unplayed with
Have every single piece of clothing or accessories that she came with
Retain the like-new crispiness in her clothing, known as “sizing”
Have bright face paint, especially the blush on her cheeks
Retain the original, tightly-curled set of her hair
Have her original box and/or hang tag whenever possible
Depending on how many of these qualities your doll has, she may be worth considerably less than the value given by your source. But don’t lose heart -- even "near-mint" and those in "good" condition can be valuable. They just aren’t worth the eye-popping prices that mint dolls typically command.
One of the best ways to determine what your vintage doll is worth is to research the doll on eBay. Search both current and completed listings for dolls similar to yours. To get a true estimate of what your doll is worth, you should look for dolls wearing the same outfit as yours and in approximately the same condition.
Before selling or purchasing a doll, you should always research the current market value using both print and online resources. But remember, even if that family heirloom isn’t worth as much as you thought it was, to you it’s priceless.
Katharine Swan is a longtime doll collector and enthusiast. Also a freelance writer, she has written many articles on collecting and repairing vintage dolls. Her ebook, How to Restring a Strung Doll, can be purchased for only $2.99 at http://dollstringing.katharineswan.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katharine_Swan
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