Wowa, Another Expensive Hobby

Jim Young

Member
Messages
507
Location
Northville, MI
Last year we built this for my Daughter:
wdollhouse5_20060112.jpg

For the last couple of gift giving events, birthday and Christmas, we and other family members have been giving my Doughter "stuff" to fill the house. The house needed furniture and other items for the kitchen. Today we went to a store that specializes in doll houses. As I was looking through the many displays of all the accessories all I could think of was "holy cow". The prices of that stuff was out of this world. There was this bookcase that sold for $400. Now if you aren't familiar with doll houses, they are set up on a 1/12th scale. So this 1/12th size bookcase was $400. I can see it would be easy to drop a couple of grand in stuff for your doll house. I don't feel so guilty for buying $300 planes anymore. Oh, and don't think you can just buy the house kit, take it home and slap it together, it's almost like building a real house.

I wrote a little article on the building phase of my Daughter's house which you can read here.
 
Hey Jim, I'll bet there are a bunch of guys here who'd be willing to make a 1/12 scale bookcase for no more than $395. :D

Sometimes when I feel a little guilty about the money I've spent on my shop tools, I think about the guys in my pool league who shoot with $2,000 pool cues....and keep them in $500 cases. Then I don't feel so bad. :p (Especially if I beat them with my sub-$100 sticks in a home-made case.) :rofl:
 
My EX was a doll collector and I got involved in making miniature houses (Never call them Doll houses! :eek: :rofl:) and furniture many, many moons ago. I made a breakfront, a bed set and a few other items but my intrest was really in the houses. People really do go crazy over that stuff. You could get this:

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/mts3.html

or these

http://www.inlandcraft.com/ (SwapTop™ Hobby Machines) (Sellect "Hobby Products" then "General Hobby Product Information")

and maybe a Jet Mini Lathe. For the price of just a few pieces of their furniture. :thumb:
The little one would be thrilled to help make her own. ;)

DT
 
You miss the point. 'hobby' is the only word in the English language spelled only with $$$$$
No matter what, you will lay out a fortune to get started. My son spent thousands getting into scuba diving then only went once. My wife collects bells, I stopped questioning the expense a long time ago. My heart wouldn't take the truth.
Then, there's my guns, period correct clothes, knives, tent, etc......
Should we even get started on woodworking/turning? :eek:
 
Talk about not "doll" houses. Front opening houses are rare.

Did this while recovering from shoulder surgery years ago. The furniture my wife collected over the years.
 

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Needless to say I won't be letting the wife see this :D
Several years ago on on of the truck forums I frequented we had a lady who was into making this stuff. she even built furniture. I made here a bunch of "lumber" so to speak. mostly cherry cut into thin strips. she used it for flooring and trim work.
 
The house was a "kit" which means they supplied the pre-cut pieces but the parquet floors, wall paper, decorating etc were supplied by self. Oh by the way the whole thing is powered. Turn the switch and the lamps on the tables light up and the chandelier lights. The electricity is routed under the wall paper with "electrical tape." It look like scotch tape but has two flat metal runs embedded in it.

LOML wants to one day go the the yearly Chicago Doll Expo to what??? Buy more furniture!!! AAAaaaaaahhhhh.
 
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