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Retailer” is a monthly feature where we discuss industry strategies,
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Real
Retailer
It’s a Dolly-Doll World
By Tina
Dhamija
March 1, 2003
Store
Name: The Elegant Dollhouse
Store Location: 1120 Fulton Ave, Sacramento, CA
95825
Store Web Address: www.elegantdollhouse.com
For all those who believe we are only as great as our homes, stand
back and prepare to be wrong. At The Elegant Dollhouse,
every home is a luxury abode that not only boasts superb craftsmanship,
but can also fit into the back seat of your car.
Located in Sacramento, California, The Elegant Dollhouse shop stands
like a life-sized replica of the miniature homes that it sells.
Offering the finest in the dollhouse and miniatures trade, the store
has been drawing collectors and hobbyists for 25 years who come
to collect and create the small things that bring beauty to their
worlds.
Miniature Furnitures |
“It’s
the second largest hobby in the world, ” said owner and manager
Barbara Taplin. She believes that the pull of miniatures
lie, not surprisingly, in their size. “You can apply any craft
to it,” she said. “For instance, for those that like to
crochet, instead of crocheting a big rug, they can just crochet a
mini rug.”
Describing
her store as a “Home Depot for miniatures,” Taplin’s
stock contains everything from dolls and dollhouses to miniature
furniture and dishes for tiny dollhouse cupboards. “We have
2,400 square feet of display space, with 12 revolving cabinets with
shelves to display all of our merchandise and accessories,”
she said.
On average, Taplin normally has about 55 dollhouses
in stock, 25 of which are already built. Ranging in price from $250
to more than $1,500 (depending on features and shipping), her miniature
homes are either made by the store’s craftsman Dennis Noble
or imported from other miniature outlets.
To appease the aficionados for whom collecting isn’t
enough, the store also offers doll-making classes and clubs for
hobbyists and collectors to create their own fantasy settings. Saturday
courses include miniature crafts, such as wicker furniture, stained
glass, and Fimo [faux] food for miniatures.
When asked how Taplin got into making dollhouses
in the first place, she named college football as her inspiration.
“We were living in L.A. and my husband was an avid football
fiend, so every time he was busy watching football, I would make
a miniature—and now, here I am!”
The
Elegant Dollhouse has outlived its local competitors and is currently
a member of the Miniatures Association of America (MIAA), the Cottage
Industry Miniaturists Trade Organization, and the prestigious National
Association of Miniature Enthusiasts (NAME) association.
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