Sharpy Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Hi! I just found this dollhouse in my grandparents attic and have no clue which one it is (mostly because I know nothing about miniatures) Is there anyone out there that could help me identify this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpy Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 Here is the back side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otterine Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 I believe this is a Dura-Craft Victorian VH-600. Nice find! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpy Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 Oh my god Cheeeeeeeeeese, you're amazing! Thank you so much.... so next question, if I can.... are there places that buy these or do I have to sell it online? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Is there some reason you can't keep it and fix it up for yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 If it's in great condition, you could ask a local interior design shop if you can place it in their window and sell it on consignment. Otherwise, a local consignment store or your local Craigslist. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpy Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 I just never really thought about it to tell you the truth...... I have never been "in" to miniatures, nor do I know anything about them. Along with this house I found about 14 bags of furniture. I guess I could look up everything on all of this stuff and see what it's about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 You can always try eBay or craigslist for selling your items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 I just never really thought about it to tell you the truth...... I have never been "in" to miniatures, nor do I know anything about them. Along with this house I found about 14 bags of furniture. I guess I could look up everything on all of this stuff and see what it's about. Miniature furnishings can be VERY expensive. Alot cost more than their real life counterparts if they are well made or artisan pieces. 14 bags is a huge amount. Soapz, here on the forum, might help you ID pieces that might be worth something extra vs. junk or common pieces. You can use the PM (personal messaging) feature tp contact her. One warning, should you decide to dabble with the house and accessories, it's a very addictive hobby and you will soon find yourself down the rabbits hole rather quickly. It's like drugs or alcohol, you can't play with it w/o becoming addicted. It is great fun and very relaxing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 I know a woman who deals with dollhouse and furniture estates. She helps people sell the items family members don't know what to do with. You may have some real expensive artisan pieces and not know it. I just emailed her to see if she would be interested in assisting you. I will PM you with her contact info if she is interested. What city are the items located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapz Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Hello Katie, welcome to the forum,,, So, first of all: great find! I wish I knew someone with an attic..... sigh. Condition of the house: While it looks okay, there are a few issues that might make a profitable sale less likely: - porch parts are missing - tower roof (left) is glued on crooked - some minor parts damaged As far as the interior goes: - floors warped - one interior wall is cooked - it looks like one of the stairs came loose Overall, it would make a wonderful rehab project for someone but as far as selling it - it would probably not get you the amount you'd like. Right now, there is a listing on ebay - same house - currently at about $ 70.00 which might sell for around $130 - 150. To some builders the original kits are worth more than an assembled house. The problem with the older assembled houses is that it takes as much money to outfit a built house as it would take to outfit a bare shell. The installed lighting is available everywhere, the few pieces of furniture inside the house are often offered on ebay. If you want, you could start a gallery (after 5 posts) and post pictures of the rest of the furniture. You might make more money from selling the furniture than from the house - that's just how it goes... I think it is a great find, so take your time to think about what you want to do with it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Sharpie, I sent you Karen Barone's email address via a PM. She is very willing to discuss selling your items for you. Besides having her Estate business, she is also the current President of N.A.M.E., a national mini organization. You'll be in good hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gramac Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 I'd love to know the history of the house, and the story behind it. Notice the street number sign, is that the address where it was found? Finds like this are fascinating to me, a story wanting to be told. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpy Posted July 6, 2015 Author Share Posted July 6, 2015 Hello everyone! Thanks so much for all of your responses! You all have a great deal of knowledge on this subject! So I woke up this morning thinking, "I should rebuild that house!!"...... and so it begins, right? Who knows, I haven't decided yet. I found a local miniature store that agreed to help me so I'm going to bring the stuff to them tomorrow and possibly work with them to do... something. I don't know what. Either that, or I will be taking Sable's advice and selling it all. But dabbling with it is sooooo tempting. As for the history of this piece, turns out it was bought recently (as in ~2 months ago) from the thrift store of all places for $24.99. The bags of furniture were 2-5.99 each so my grandfather splurged and took it all. That's as far as I know for now although it looks as though someone definitely loved it once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpy Posted July 6, 2015 Author Share Posted July 6, 2015 Oh one quick question- Soapz- if I were to sell it would it be better to fix it up, shell it out or leave it as be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbnmini Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Well, if you want to avoid the mini addiction.... sell it "as is". ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Katie, if you want to sell it, fixing it up will give it a better chance than as a "fixer upper". You can always donate it to charity. A heat gun will soften some glues to fix the roof, but don't use it near any windows or doors with inserts. A 1/8" thick basswood board from the hobby shop will give you plenty of wood for minor repairs like the window box on the lower left. Go ahead and go for it, you might just discover you like this hobby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 The investment in materials, tools and labor, which can be extensive, might be more than what you'll end up getting for it, if you chose to sell it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Sable is right. What ever you decide to do or not do, keep in mind that you're not going to get as much as you think it's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapz Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Sable and Kathie are right - once you start replacing it will turn into a money pit and you won't recover the investment. If you decide to keep it, every penny is well spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risotto Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 This makes me want to start stalking estate sales! Actually via ebay I was able to correspond with a lovely lady in New England who was selling her collection of Gudgel 1:144 houses and I was lucky enough to purchase one. Ebay may be a good option if you decide to part with your treasure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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