Collectible Dollhouses and Miniature Scale Dollhouse Furniture
Collecting dollhouses and miniature scale dollhouse furniture has fascinated mankind for centuries. The first documented miniatures were unearthed from ancient Egyptian tombs some 5,000 years ago, and are believed to have been created for religious purposes.
Collecting dollhouse miniatures was limited to the wealthy during the 16th century in European countries such as Germany, Holland and England. The hobby was confined to adults because of the delicate nature of the miniatures, and was a status symbol as only the very rich could afford such objects. During the 17th century a dollhouse and furnishings was a means by which to teach children, especially daughters, how to care for the house.
The coming of the Industrial Revolution brought about factories and mass production of dollhouses and miniature scale dollhouse furniture in Germany and England, and by the late 1800s Bliss Manufacturing Company in America had joined the ranks. Germany produced the most collectible miniature scale dollhouse furniture, but World War I affected manufacturing and export, so factories in other countries sprang up to fill the void. By the end of World War II dollhouses and dollhouse miniatures were being mass produced in great volume with less detail. By the 1950s many of the dollhouses were painted sheet metal, and the miniature scale dollhouse furniture was plastic, making them more affordable and attainable by a greater population.
There are different sizes, or scale of miniature dollhouse furniture. 1:12 scale is the standard collectors scale where 1 foot is represented by 1 inch. 1:24 is where 1 foot equals a half inch. This scale was popular in the Marx dollhouses of the 1950s. 1:48, or quarter inch scale is where 1 foot equals a quarter inch. Playscale, or fourth scale is 1:6, meaning that a six foot tall object would be one foot tall in the dollhouse. This scale pertains to 11" - 12" fashion dolls. Lastly, 1:144 scale, so small that this is also known as scale for a dollhouse within a dollhouse.Collecting miniature scale dollhouse furniture is both fun and rewarding and does not have to be limited to a dollhouse. Room boxes are a popular means by which to display miniature dollhouse furniture on a smaller scale. This way, one can focus on a particular room, or rooms. A lovely demonstration of this technique are the Thorne Rooms, a collection of 100 room boxes begun in the 1930s by Narcissa Niblack Thorne, and displayed in museums throughout the United States.
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 Dollhouse display wall unit library kitchen 9068H  US $3,258.00
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 Large Custom Handcrafted Wood Dollhouse Beacon 112 Brand New US $1,749.00
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 Dollhouse Half Scale US $900.00
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 Lot of 40 Miniature Dollhouse wholesale Set Sofa Couch Coffee Table 4 pcs US $588.00
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Doll Houses
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Dollhouse display wall unit library kitchen 9068H US $3,258.00 |
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Large Custom Handcrafted Wood Dollhouse Beacon 112 Brand New US $1,749.00 |
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Dollhouse Half Scale US $900.00 |
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Lot of 40 Miniature Dollhouse wholesale Set Sofa Couch Coffee Table 4 pcs US $588.00 |
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Lavish Bold Romantic French Regency Dollhouse Miniature Roombox Red Gold 1 12th US $526.00 |
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OOAK Miniature Dollhouse Doll Colonial Woman Baking US $475.00 |
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Dollhouse Miniature Furniture Collection Over 100 Pieces Handmade Vintage US $499.00 |
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Hand stitched dollhouse rug US $450.00 |
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Hansson Dollhouse Miniature French Dining Room Set US $425.00 |
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5PC SET Bespaq Dollhouse Miniature furniture wood double door dining living New US $399.99 |
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