rodentraiser

Muriel, I think the next episode is going to be the best. They're doing sheds and it'll be interesting to see how people have come up with living arrangements in their sheds.

The 550 model was the first one Duracraft came out with. You used the channel moldings to slid your siding down in and those doubled on the inside as walls. The house was characterized by single windows only in the bay window (not the tower windows - they had three windows apiece on all floors) and a roof over the balcony. There was very little trim. 555 was a fancier update of 550. The company updated several models at this time, including the Farmhouse and the Newberg and I think one more that I can't remember now. The 555 didn't have a roof over the balcony, but there were now three bay windows in each of the bays on every floor. The window in the center of the third floor was enlarged. This one is my favorite because of all the trim. There was still a problem on the inside with running the moldings around the ceiling and floor because of the channels molding used to construct the walls. 557 was the latest update of this house. I believe Duracraft was trying to move into the higher end dollhouse scene at this time. The channel molding way of constructing the house was changed to 3/8" MDF, so now you had smooth walls all around the inside without protruding channel molding. There was still no roof over the balcony, and there were still 3 windows in each bay. The center window in the third floor was redone like the first model. There was a loss of some trim for the tower and under the witch's cap. The kit was much heavier and I daresay, more expensive. Otherwise, the layouts and measurements were the same from model to model. That's about all the differences I could think of.

It's a British show, but I was wondering if anyone besides myself was watching it. I think the one thing that helps you most in dollhousing (is that a word?) is being able to see the potential in small spaces. PUN! Well, not really. I see so many beginners who feel they have to have huge dollhouses (says the woman with an 18 room dollhouse herself) because they think they need huge rooms. Watching shows about how people are able to live in less room (though not necessarily wanting to do it myself) can be helpful in visualizing how things can fit together in small dollhouse rooms and not look crowded or overdone. Anyway, if you get a chance, take a look at this show. And by the way, any of our Australian members here watching Old School? Has nothing to do with dollhouses, but that sure is a great series! Had to throw that out there.

Bremerton, Washington state. We're right across from Seattle, but you would have to drive around the Sound or take a ferry. Neither's cheap, but I could go visit anyone who's passing through Seattle if they don't feel like traveling to the boonies here. I might even be able to drag Lisa and Checkmouse with me! And I think there's a couple other members in the Puget Sound area as well. And if someone really wanted to, they could stay over and share the room with me because I could sleep on the sofa. Unfortunately, you'd have to share the bath with the room next door and the bed is only a twin.

That's adorable. It's what I would have wanted, except I have to have one side open because of the fireplace. *sigh*

Oh, I forgot. Clare Bell Brassworks has lights too. I guess you have to call to get the prices, but although I'm sure some things like the chandeliers are pricey, I don't recall their prices were all that bad. http://www.clarebell.com/ Also, Chrysolite had some beautiful lamps. I think they're out of business now, but a lot of stores still have some of their products. If they're not out of business, someone let me know, please! http://www.dollhouseminiatures.com/electric/chrysolite1.htm

I'd be sorry if Marie Toner was no longer in business. She had the wall sconces that plugged directly into the tape wire on the wall. No hassling with wire or screw in canopies.

I remember the Pokey Little Puppy! Did you have the record to yours? I also had the A Little Golden Book called Horses. I know my mom threw out everything she could when I left home, but when I saw Horses on eBay, I bought it. Then I saw the miniature of Horses and I bought that too! It goes in my miniature library. One thing I loved playing when I was little was Candyland. I always wanted that game but never got it.

You are welcome. Any time!

You're right, the kit is somewhat rare but it does come up once in a while. Having the deed is great! I wish I had one for my house. But having said that, it's really not about how rare a house is, it's more about how much someone is willing to pay for it. You could start it out on Craig's List for, say, $500 (that's just an example and I personally feel that would be too much), and then lower the price as you need to until it sells. You might also want to take the kit to a local dollhouse shop and see if they'll sell it on consignment or buy it themselves. Or you could just keep it and decorate it yourself. You can always come to our forum for help with anything and you might really enjoy turning a dollhouse shell into something beautiful. And the house doesn't have to be finished in a set time. Most people take years to finish their houses and collect all the doodads for them. You can go as slow or fast as you want with this hobby. I'm doing a Hofco Americana house right now and I've remodeled the living daylights out of it with a jigsaw, but it's been a blast!

If you really want to sell the kit, Craig's List is a good place to start. Accept cash only and you set the time when you want someone to come over and get the house. Make sure someone is there with you. If someone is coming over, put the kit in your garage or on your porch, so you don't have to bring the person inside. And remember, you are making a sale. You are not cashing someone's check, mailing them money, or going to your bank for anybody. They bring cash, they get the house. That simple. No cash, no house. These are the things that will keep you safe when selling on Craig's List. And listen to your gut feelings. If you are prepared to ship the house, find out how much it will cost and then you can list it on our Community Trading Post thread. I trust most people, but I usually ask for a MO before I ship anything. If someone wants the house bad enough, that's something they'll do for you. Meantime, I agree with the others - build the house. Google Barrington dollhouse and look for images. Besides the Barrington, you'll see a lot of photos of finished houses that will inspire you. And of course, you can always come here for help. By the way, once the house is built, it's not just the kids you have to worry about. You may have to lay down the law about not touching to adults, as well. Don't worry; you'll develop your sergeant's voice. It comes with the territory.

OK, here is the room where Lisa and I work on our houses at Lisa's house. My house is the mess on the right and neatly primed and awaiting decoration and electric, is Lisa's house on the left. Then here is my work space in the room I am renting. I usually sit on the bed and do stuff, but next week I will be painting windows and that means I will be sitting on.....oh, heck, the blankets are washable. I use my end table when I can for drying stuff that's been glued, but space is limited because of the fan I have on the table now. I have the quadruple window more or less done until I paint it and now I'm removing trim from the window sides to make the triple window.

Or two long straight pins for an antenna? I love that TV!

Agreed. I love that little kitchen view. By the way, I never noticed the LG logo before. Where does that come from and what does it stand for?

Yeah, painted white with blue trim and placed in a corner under the double window and opposite the fireplace, it will be an awesome breakfast nook.

Well, it was sorta the way the question was phrased. I guess it says something about me if that's the first thing I thought of. I needa get a life.

OMG, I forgot to specify again, didn't I? I meant in miniature, but that's OK, because I found out you can separate the seats and move them around. This is what I was talking about: I've always seen the corner on the right hand side and I was wondering if all the pieces came attached or if I could move the seats and switch them around the corner seat. I called miniatures.com this morning and while I love their products and I think their service is awesome, I think they lack a bit in the help department. The woman I talked to said the seats could not be separated. Yet I found out that there are 6 pieces to this set and you can switch the seats around. So my question is answered. So...it looks like I will be getting the little breakfast nook for my kitchen after all.

Agreed and agreed!

I've decided to (maybe) put a breakfast nook in my kitchen. The only think is, every time I see a picture of it, the corner is always on the right side. Does anyone here know if the three pieces are permanently put together, or can I move it around so that the corner is on the left side?

Oh. That kind of grass. Never mind then.

I have SEVEN windows! OK, well, not complete windows, but enough bits and pieces to make 7 windows. What I'm doing is taking all the trim off each window, which leaves me with just a 4-sided box, more or less (I'm having to do some gluing to make a window into a box). I am gluing the sides of the boxes back to back except for the ends. So I have a triple window and a quadruple window. When they are all glued together, I will cover them with new trim. And voila! Windows for the sunroom. The triple window goes on the front wall and the quaduple window goes on the side wall, the other side attaches to the house. and the back is open, unless I can dig up 3 more windows. Anyway, that's what I'm working on in between panting and heatstroke. What I can't understand is why the glue is so old the windows are almost all in pieces, but the pieces I need to take apart, are bonded with cement. Go figure. Then is the joyful ordeal of trying to pull off trim over paper to avoid sitting in splinters later on. However, with the fan going, all I have to do is forget once and move and the paper flies up, depositing little splinter all over where I will be sitting....... And it's going to be 95 in my room today and the beer festival is on and they have the registration tent right underneath my window! But that's better than last year, when they had the BAND right across from my window and the toilets right under someone else's window. It's already about 89° outside. Does anyone besides me think unseasonably hot weather and and a beer festival combined isn't necessarily the smartest idea?

I would think $10.000 would be more than fair, considering a finished house by the Thomas' run $25,000 or more. And if you're including the furniture, that was some good quality furniture I saw there, too. Finding someone with that sort of cash to spend is something else though. Although, I'm sure they would consider it an investment.

Er, WOW!

Awwww, heck. I was working on windows and I had them spread all over my bed. Picked them up and put them on the end table waiting for the glue to dry and then saw this thread. Scattered the stuff all over my bed again exactly the way I had it before and went to take a picture. Remembered my camera was at Lisa's. Picked everything back up again. I'll have a pic by Monday. I swear, someday it doesn't pay to gnaw throw the ropes.