Small Scale Stuff

pictures of small scale toys
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About

How My Interest in Miniatures Began

I’m approaching 60 years and my interest in miniatures and small-scale collectibles began over 50 years ago. I was around seven years old and we just moved to a rural area in Canada. Our house was a few miles from town and we only had one television station. The only shopping, restaurants, and movie theater were miles away.  When we were not in school, my four siblings and I had to find ways to entertain ourselves. I did not know it then, but boredom would lead me to my love of small things. My First Miniature Objects I recall it...

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Lego

FAKE LEGO SETS #1: Politically Incorrect

Friends often send me texts with some crazy Lego pictures, which -although funny- are definitely fake Lego sets. I am a little appalled by the sets that I discuss below in this first post on fake Legos. What motivates these sets’ creators to take a fun building block and make it into something offensive? This is the world we live in now. Incidentally, I pulled all these images from the internet and have tried to list the creator where I could. Oftentimes, the creator probably doesn’t want the publicity, so it’s difficult to “credit” the builder. WARNING: If you are...

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About

NEW YEAR MUSINGS

We are in a new year and I am looking at turning 60 at the end of the month. I had hoped the pandemic was behind us, but here we are – Year 2 and the omicron variant is running amok with new variants on the horizon. This does not bode well. I admit I am depressed. Part of the reason I retired early was to travel. International travel (or at least overseas travel) is out for now, which means my long-planned trip back to the U.K. is on hold. Perhaps in June things will settle down and I can...

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Lego

Lego Christmas Sets

Around Thanksgiving, I brought out my Christmas decorations, including my collection of Lego Christmas sets to adorn the mantel of my fireplace. I don’t have a lot of sets, but the centerpiece is definitely the Lego Creator Expert Gingerbread House, pictured below. I also have a Christmas carousel and a Christmas scene with a reindeer and elf. I also have – still boxed- the Lego Christmas Carol set, which is the featured image on this post. In case you don’t know, Lego often has freebies with purchases over a certain dollar amount. These freebies seem to be offered around the...

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Home Decor

Functional Little Home Décor – Dec/Jan

This post focuses on IKEA home décor items that can add some character to your home. While IKEA may have a “certain reputation” regarding the quality of its offerings, many of its home décor items are not only cute but functional. Below, I will discuss a few of my finds. IKEA Home Décor Item #1: Stockholm Bowl If you have ever visited IKEA in person or online, you have probably seen this metal bowl with its iconic daisy design. The bowl is called Stockholm and comes in two different styles. There is the original silver bowl, as pictured above/ This...

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Toys

Kinder Surprise

Kinder Surprise (also known as Kinder Egg or Kinder Surprise Egg) consists of a milk chocolate egg surrounding a yellow plastic capsule with a small toy inside. Made by the Italian company Ferrero since 1974, Kinder Surprise was originally created with children in mind, replicating an Italian Easter family tradition in which adults give children large chocolate eggs with toys inside. However, Kinder Surprise toys have become collectible for adults as well. Collectors often try to acquire all toys within a themed set. Some even share their egg openings on social media, or create their own toys and re-wrap them in Kinder Surprise packaging.  Over 100 new toys are...

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Home Decor

Functional Little Home Décor-Oct/Nov

I have two functional little home décor items to discuss in this post – a tealight holder and a hand figure. I’ve owned these two items for years. However, these pieces might give you some ideas… Tealight Holder Years ago, in the late 1990s, I invested in a now-defunct candle company (Affordable Luxuries). While there were issues with the company, some of the products were very nice, So nice that I bought some items just for me. Below is a tealight holder that the company offered. It is in the shape of a small birdhouse, complete with a little bird!...

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About

About This Blog

This blog pays homage to small-scale things. Note, I use the term small-scale in the blog to cover several topics, from miniatures to toys to decor items. I think the term small-scale encompasses a lot more items versus the term miniatures. There are several sections in this blog: Fine Art Miniatures, which covers the work of specific artisans, like Robert Olszewski. Dollhouse Miniatures, including mass-made dollhouse furniture and furniture you can build from kits. Small-Scale Toys, primarily Lego sets for adults, but also other cute small toys. Miniature Craft Kits, which are smaller than the 1:12 size of dollhouse kits....

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Dollhouse / Miniature Craft Kits

Small-Scale Building Kits

Why Amazon Building Kits? Because I moved to an 821 sq ft condo (in keeping with my small-scale stuff obsession), I don’t have the room for a large dollhouse.  During pandemic boredom, I was getting antsy to build something. I decided to look on Amazon and noticed a number of small-scale building kits.  Completed, these little buildings would fit on shelves in my condo. Plus, the price of these building kits was far cheaper than the cost of a 1:12 scale dollhouse kit. Finally, the reviews were, for the most part, positive. (I did run Fakespot to see if the...

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Artisan miniatures

Reutter Porzellan Miniatures

While looking for some Beatrix Potter miniatures for my sister (who has been a fan of her work since childhood), I discovered Reutter Porzellan Miniatures. This company offered the cutest little tea set and Easter basket in a Beatrix Potter theme. The items were high quality, which piqued my curiosity about this company. I discovered that the company has been around since the 1940s. Moreover, besides Beatrix Potter, the company offered a variety of very cute and very detailed miniatures. History of the Company In reviewing the history of Reutter Porzellan, I learned that it is family-owned. It began exhibiting...

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Home Decor

Functional Little Home Décor: Aug/Sept

Happy End of Summer! I found a few cute but functional home décor items to enhance your space. Personal Humidifier – I live in very hot and very dry Las Vegas. The climate has played havoc with my skin. I have a large humidifier for my living room, but my bedroom lacks space and I needed a small humidifier that would fit on my bookcase headboard. Since Etsy seems to carry a plethora of unique items, I searched for a personal humidifier and found some cute but still functional possibilities. Interesting Planters – I like cute little objects to add...