Dollhouse Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do you have a retail store I can visit?

A: We currently do not operate a retail store. All of our products are available exclusively through our website.

Our website offers an extensive online catalog of dollhouse miniatures. Each miniature featured on our website contains a detailed product description with high quality photographic images, so you'll know exactly what to expect before you buy. We also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. See our return policy for more details.

Q: I am looking for measurements of your dollhouse miniature products and I only see scale listed. What does scale mean?

A: Scale is defined as the ratio between a full-size object and its miniature-sized version and is expressed as a ratio. There are several scales of miniatures available. The most common scale is 1:12 scale (also called one inch scale). This means for every inch a dollhouse miniature measures, the full-size version would measure one foot. For example, an average full-size bathtub measures 5 feet in length. A miniature version of the same bathtub in 1:12 scale would measure 5 inches in length.

Other popular dollhouse scales include 1:24 scale (or half-inch scale), 1:48 scale (or quarter-inch scale) and 1:144 scale, which is the smallest scale available. For consistency in proportion throughout your dollhouse, it's important to make sure you select miniatures that are the same scale.

Q: Are you dollhouse furniture and miniature accessories the appropriate size for Barbie dolls?

A: 1:12 scale miniatures are designed for traditional dollhouses and are proportionally too small for Barbie. Barbie furniture and accessories are sized in 1:6 scale (also known as playscale).

Q: I'm interested in building a dollhouse and would like to learn more. Where is a good place to start?

A: There are many options available when it comes to building a dollhouse including building building from a kit with pre-cut pieces or building a dollhouse from scratch using a dollhouse floorplan. If you are new to the hobby, we suggest beginning with a miniature room box or dollhouse kit. A kit will come with all pieces pre-cut (shingles and trim, pre-milled siding, posts and rails, stairs, etc.) as well as some pieces that are preassembled including windows, doors and shutters. There are many choices of kits for dollhouses available in a variety of authentic period styles.

If you aren't sure where to begin finishing and decorating the dollhouse interior, we suggest purchasing a how-to book for the beginner. There are many excellent online resources as well, including our dollhouse miniatures blog.

Q: What is the recommended minimum age for your miniature products?

A: None of our products are suitable for children under the age of 3. Because some of our miniature products are considered collectibles, the minimum manufacturer-recommended age on certain items is 13 years old.

Q: I'm looking for a product not featured on your website. Can you order it for me?

A: Absolutely! We have access to over 20,000 miniature items available, and chances are if you can think of it, it's made in miniature. Feel free to e-mail us with your needs and we will happily provide you with a price and estimated time of arrival (typically 3 weeks or less) for any special orders.

Q: I would like to purchase a large quantity of one of your products, but my shopping cart shows it's on back-order. How long will it take to come in stock?

A: While we strive to keep reasonable quantities of items stocked in our warehouse at all times, on occasion we receive orders for a large quantity of one particular miniature product that exceeds what we have in stock at our warehouse.

In many cases, if the quantity needed is large enough we can have the order immediately drop shipped to you directly from our supplier. Otherwise, in most cases the back-ordered item(s) are typically back in stock in our warehouse within 3 weeks. Please contact our customer service with the item number for a specific time frame.

Q: Do you have a print catalog?

A: We do not have a print catalog specific to our company, but we do offer an industry-wide dollhouse miniatures catalog through our website that features over 20,000 miniatures crafted by dozens of miniature artisans. We offer the catalog for sale to our customers at our cost (we make no profit). The most recent edition on sale was printed in 2008.

Q: I live locally in the Portland, Oregon area. Can I come pick up my order?

A: Unfortunately, we are not set up to accommodate will calls or pick-ups at this time. Items ordered through our website will be shipped from our warehouse to the customer shipping address specified on the order.

Q: Do you ship outside the United States?

A: Yes, we ship worldwide.