Has dollhouse collecting become cool again?
Dolls have always been a staple in any little girl’s toy collection. With that came lots of different accessories, houses, and clothes for the glamorous and free lifestyle of these dolls. However, some caught on and noticed that dollhouses aren’t just what they seem to be—that these could be an expression of arts and crafts for adults. Dollhouses aren’t primarily for children anymore; adults have acquired the hobby of collecting these tiny houses, which they thoroughly set up or fix either to emulate a piece of architecture or make it seem more realistic. Dollhouses can vary from simple boxes stacked together, with tiny furniture used mainly for playing, to very expensive structures with intricate design up for displays in museum.
For collectors, dollhouses can either be bought ready-made, with the entire thing already pre-designed to kits which you can build on your own, with furniture available for purchase to let you customize your own space. Some are made-to-order according to the customer’s needs and specifications.
The decline of dollhouse collections
There was a period in history, mainly the 1900’s, where collecting dollhouses were very popular as a means for self-expression and to be able to show the world these intricate tiny things. During which, companies mass-produced these houses, which made it more accessible, standardized, and more affordable for people who want to collect it as a hobby.
However large the awareness around collecting dollhouses was, with the dawn of social media and technology, interest weaned and saw itself decline in fascination. There was also the issue of cheaply produced items imported from the US resulting in decline of quality and copying of items rather than making original work. The problem with this was that the serious collectors who made an impact wanted high-quality original work as opposed to mass-produced and copied ones, consequently making them lose interest. As a result of all this, dozens of specialty shops have been forced to close and many makers of these tiny stores were forced to stop production because demand wasn’t enough.
Are dollhouses making a comeback?
Slowly but surely, dollhouses are making its way to people’s hearts once again. Loyalists of this hobby don’t give in. In the UK alone, there have been specialty fairs that cater to the audience who want to see more of these tiny architectural wonders. The fascination of collecting dollhouses has increased once again because people are seeing the value of art and expression through these things. The number of buyers from dollhouse artisans are growing in number steadily because it’s something that you can do on your spare time and according to how much you can afford to allot for it, which constantly holds its value. People are more advanced nowadays and so they know what they want to get and some might even pay thousands of pounds just for an item.
Now, makers are slowly getting their game up to be able to accept the rising demand for dollhouse supplies.
With the advent of advanced technology, quality is becoming more and important for serious collectors knowledgeable in the craft. The rise of dollhouse collection is slow, but with more high-quality products out there, people are willing to pay whatever it takes.
There are truly passionate people out there who won’t let go of this hobby and manufacturers and artisans alike are banking in once again on the steady growth of collecting dollhouses.
Article written by Melody Jane Dolls Houses