Collectors Dolls Houses

 Collectors Dolls Houses by Sid Cooke ..................

There are a huge number of Dolls House Collectors who spend very many happy hours creating, decorating and furnishing their miniature world.

The interests of Dolls House Collectors, or "Miniaturists", vary from simply collecting small models and single pieces, to creating a fully decorated and furnished Collectors Dolls House that, in a photograph, is difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

In their Collectors Dolls House enthusiastic miniaturists are probably looking for a model with; Good proportion emulating the period being modeled, for example, room height and size.

This is important since if, for example, the room heights in a Georgian Collectors Dolls House are too low you may not be able to fit an appropriate fire place or hang a chandelier.

Realistic architectural features including the style, size and positioning of windows and doors.

Getting the proportion and finishing detail correct will certainly give your finished Collectors Dolls House "wow" factor.

Materials used in the construction for a 1/12th scale Collectors Dolls House main carcass and internal walls and floors in 9mm (3/8") Birch Plywood or MDF. 9mm material is important since almost all available fittings and lighting is made to suit this thickness.

The argument about Birch plywood or MDF will really boil down to your personal preference.

Setting aside the health issues of MDF it is a very good material to machine and cut, it has an accurate and smooth surface making it great to decorate.

It isn't however, very tough in that screw fixings for hinges are liable to pull out with relatively low levels of abuse and dropping your model will almost certainly be terminal.

Birch Plywood is the more traditional material for an heirloom type Collectors Dolls House, (it can look great undecorated). Plywood is tougher and has proven durability.

On the down side it is a natural, laminated product and can warp if left in damp conditions or close to a heat source.

Sensible finishing or painting actions reduce the likelihood of warping. Collectors Dolls Houses come in all shapes and sizes from a single room, fisherman's cottage to an aristocratic mansion.

If you are just starting out as a Dolls House Collector then a smaller property might be more appropriate.

In its simplest form the true Collectors Dolls House might be a "Room Box" or "Room Setting" in which a single room is created in detail.

The room or setting may be a recreation in miniature a specific time period focusing on the correct furniture, lighting and décor, or it could be an artistic study of a life scene.

A "Shop Box" is a variant of a Room Box with a detailed shop front added. Many Dolls House Collectors in fact create shops. Once again this may be a period setting and the subject matter can vary from a greengrocers to a wedding dress shop or a car parts shop.

Wherever your interest and imagination takes you that's just fine. Most Shop Boxes have the facility to add an upstairs and here you can create a domestic scene (living above the shop) or workrooms, for example a dressmaker above a dress shop.

If you like Collectors Dolls House shops then you can move up the size scale and choose from a vast range of sizes and styles - larger shop boxes, single storey shops, corner shops, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian shops, the list goes on and on.

Owning a Collectors Dolls House does not have to be expensive. This is an enthralling hobby and as such allows you to be extremely creative.

The items are very small and therefore the material cost to make them is not great. Of course we have to recognize that not every one feels able to physically make pieces and will carefully select beautiful finished items.

Either way you can enjoy very many hours stretching your knowledge of history, decoration, colour, furniture design and observation of life.

Sid Cooke Dolls Houses are proud to be one of the most popular manufacturers of Collectors Dolls Houses Have fun buy yourself buy a Sid Cooke Collectors Dolls House !

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