Monday, March 6, 2023

Did my ship just come in?

One day I was in a Habitat for Humanity store and saw this incredibly detailed paddleboat. It needed a few repairs, but it was utterly charming.

A sailor works on the paddle at the stern


The three decks had handmade railings.

The adorable dolls were made of stockinette and had detailed clothing and facial features.

The bow of the boat was missing its railing but featured a band.


The band members had crocheted clothing and wooden instruments. They were so well done



A couple of elegant lady passengers are enjoying the view from the top deck

The boat was up for auction and no, I didn't take it home. I wonder who did.









Thursday, March 2, 2023

Argo 1957 fashion doll furniture for sale - $125 per set

 

Very rare 1957 Argo Model Home for Dolls mid-century modern furniture. 
(Furniture only - no rooms or dollhouse). 
The bedroom set is available for $125. plus shipping
(Living room set is sold) 
Contact Susan at susansminihomes@gmail.com if you are interested.


A brochure came with each set. It says the scale is 1 foot to 1 inch, but these were made for 7.5 to 10 inch dolls before barbie came along and they are slightly too small for Barbie. Still they do look great with your vintage Barbies, Blythes, Jills or Ginnys. Pick up in Toronto, or shipping to US or Canada if buyer pays shipping charges.













Monday, August 1, 2022

Beautiful Hand-built Antique Dollhouse

This Incredible Antique Dollhouse in 1/12 scale has 7 rooms with a central hall.






It is 37 inches wide, 30 inches deep and 30 inches tall to the top of the chimney.

The front door has a lovely portico door canopy


This is the kitchen and bathroom side of the house

The bathroom has a toilet paper holder and towel racks

The kitchen door is quite charming

It was lovingly hand-built with lovely details, like a built-in cabinets around the fireplace in the living room

And an elegant staircase in the tiled hall.






It shows some signs of wear. All of the original carpets have been removed and it is It is partially wired. But now the house is ready for restoration.


Friday, July 22, 2022

Big Green Dollhouse

I have spent the last week refurbishing this beautiful dollhouse.
See the last picture to see how the poor thing had been neglected.
I refreshed the exterior paint.
The interior was partly finished and I started to add more to it,
but I have decided to sell it, so it remains unfinished.
I think it looks so much better now.





 
It is not happy in the before picture.

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Deluxe Reading Kitchen 1961 - The Grocery Store Special

Deluxe Reading toys were sold in the 1950s–1970s in supermarkets. 

One of the most successful toys for girls was the "Dream Kitchen" (circa 1961) which consisted of four 12-inch-tall colourful kitchen appliances, a kitchen table and four chairs. The 1/6th scale of the set made it perfect for Barbie.



This toy was unique in that the sink worked with water, the oven had batteries to turn a plastic turkey on a spit inside.


The refrigerator had pull-out shelves, and the dishwasher also worked with water.

Included were scores of food boxes, cleaning supplies, food replica items, plates, utensils and more. The box proclaimed that it held "176 pieces."  I have acquired many extra accessories for my Deluxe Reading Kitchen.



This attractive display was high up on the grocery store shelf causing many children to beg their parents to buy them such a wonderful toy. I remember, as I was one of them, but I didn't get the set until I was grown up. (Picture from Pinterest)


The set came in an colourfully illustrated cardboard box. (Picture from Pinterest)


The kitchen set was also sold in the 1963 Montgomery Ward Christmas Book, Page 230



Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Barbie's Dream Kitchen Dinette from1964

Barbie invited her best friend Midge to brunch. She wanted to show off her cooking skills in her new modern Dream Kitchen Dinette. She made coffee in her Corningware percolator and cooked a casserole in the matching dish.


Barbie kept peeking out the window to see if Midge was getting close.


Everything is ready, and Midge is finally here.





"Everything looks wonderful!" Midge tells Barbie. 

"Let's eat." says Barbie
"We can sit on the patio later"


The 1964 Barbie Dream Kitchen Dinette is harder-to-find than some of the other vintage structures. It has wonderful graphics inside and out. I find the outdoor scenes particularly attractive. 

It is a cardboard house and came with many accessories. You could "Decorate it yourself with exciting SEW-FREE cloth draperies, pot holders, place mats, apron". 

Luckily, most of the original pieces were in my set. It is missing only one piece of toast, one knife, one spoon and the top of one stool. I am amazed that all the other pieces are there. They are so tiny and easily lost or vacuumed up. I am grateful that some careful little girl packed them all inside when she outgrew the house.

The original price tag is still on the house. $1.44. Wow, what a sale. I paid a bit more than that when I got it, but I'm still happy to have it. I hope you enjoyed the visit as much as Midge did.