People attracted
to the dolls house hobby come in all shapes and sizes. Whether
they choose Victorian, Edwardian, Tudor or even Modern periods
when buying a dolls
house,
they find that they are part of a collective band of enthusiastic
hobbyists. We now live in a fast moving computer driven age where
quality and style is perhaps forsaken for cost and speed. However,
collectors can engross themselves into the world of their dolls
house, and miniaturists can re-create the finery and elegance
of a bygone age. It now seems strange that the very things that
have replaced the ways of the past i.e. fast track communications
and the Internet are serving to help those people re-create their
"dreams in miniature" such as through this website.
Maybe there
lurks in every dolls
house collector
a secret longing that they could have lived in an age where they
would have been surrounded by fine furniture, extravagant architecture,
exquisite design and sumptuous decorations. They would be wearing
the fine clothes as modelled by their elegant dolls and have been served by the maids,
cooks and butlers that staffed the grand old houses of years
ago - just like the ones in their own dolls house.
Whilst it is
not true of 100% of the hobby, the collection of dolls houses
is very much based around 1/12th scale. Most shops and retail businesses supply dolls houses
and accessories based around this scale. The number of miniaturists
has grown throughout the years and now there are many collectors
throughout the world, together with a sizeable network of retailers
to look after their needs. In addition to the shops and Internet
sites there are also many dolls house clubs (throughout the UK
and the rest of the world). These clubs enable collectors to
exchange ideas and enjoy together the hobby of their choice.
Even dolls house holidays exist to cater for the real miniatures
enthusiast, who just needs to get away from the world, to concentrate
on the important things in life.
Whilst the
hobbyist represents a significant percentage of dolls house owners
we must not forget that many a child wakes up on Christmas morning
to unwrap their very first piece of property in life a
dolls house. Whilst they see it as a toy the educational value
(unknown to them) is great. In their playing they will learn
the fundamentals of house furnishings and even decoration (if
Mum lets them choose carpets and even wallpapers although look out for some "interesting"
colour combinations at first). Specific ranges of furniture (made
to be both robust and safe) and also dolls make it even easier
for the child of today to create their own "play house",
and to become head of their very own household. In many cases,
children who have enjoyed the thrill and benefits of a dolls
house as a child, return in adulthood to take up the hobby for
real. On the other hand, many a collector is drawn into the hobby
in order to have the dolls house that they always wanted as a
child.
Most people
will be satisfied with one dolls house. However, a growing number
of people want to expand their "property portfolio"
and they either add a second or subsequent house to their collection.
They may decide on variety and opt for a shop, a pub or even
create a dolls
house garden.
There are also those more imaginative enthusiasts who re-create
other scenes such as schools and churches and some base their
projects on more obscure themes such as funeral directors.
