4 Responses

1. cheezy

   07|Oct|2009 1

   do a google for
   Jim’s dollhouse pages
   excellent site for diy

2. rhinestones

   07|Oct|2009 2

   This is an excellent site for free printable things to use in your dollhouse. IE. books,pictures and on and on. This is a fabulous site!http://www.printmini.com/printables/

3. cltd

   07|Oct|2009 3

   ebay has a miniatures section. You can also do what I did…make it yourself from balsa wood.

4. h_brida

   07|Oct|2009 4

   You pay cheap, you get cheap. Dollar Store, etc. often have cheap dollhouse accessories. Are you interested in play-grade or in fine stuff?
   A piece of fine full-scale wood furniture with dovetailed joints, made of either solid wood or veneered solid wood rather than plywood or particle board held together with staples and glue will be expensive. The high-priced scale furniture is as carefully-crafted as fine furniture. In terms of hours of hand-labor, it approaches the time for a full-scale piece. A 1/12th scale item for 1/10 the price of a full-scale one has been nigh-standard for generations.
   Crude scale miniatures can be gotten from dollar bins various places. I’ve seen ‘em in drugstores and in “big box” stores and as Christmas tree ornaments. Shopping on-line, it might be difficult to tell the difference. Ornament paint may be unsafe for children.
   Relative to the $1000 dollhouse, if it’s from a retail outlet, half the price is mark-up. Check out the prices for materials. Imagine either creating doors and windows from scratch or the cost for such nice bits. Does it have lighting? That’s another major materials cost. Divide the remainder by $8-$10/hour for a guess on labor. Could you put it together neatly in the same time, with tools you have on hand? If not, then give the artisans some credit.
   One of my now-lost favorite dollhouse accessories was a crystal ball on a metal filagree base. It had been made from two antique buttons wedged together. They were taken from materials on hand. Maybe I’ll see another button like the base again someday, maybe I never will. Even with “found” accessories, a portion of the sale price may be based the difficultly in duplicating the item because of scarcity of materials.
   I’d suggest going to a library and looking at some older publications on dollhouse miniatures. Then purchase a current magazine on the same subject. Compare the source lists. You’ll be able to see who’s been a business long enough to establish a good reputation and see which of these now have websites.