October 2008 Notable Toys — Dolls - Accessories

Fashioned after the house in the movie "Barbie & The Diamond Castle," this tri-level palace has a light-up tower and plays a song.

This perfect match to Little Adventures’ Rapunzel dress up has a purple and pink crushed velvet bodice accented with silver criss-cross trim. It features a purple, China silk skirt and sleeves, and a princess cone hat. Launch date: 2004.

This elegant gown is a perfect match to the company’s Deluxe Snow White dress-up. It has red, crushed-velvet sleeves with gold trim, a navy blue, velvet bodice dotted with red ribbon roses, and a gold-trimmed waist. The skirt is a cheery yellow China silk, and a delicate white ruffled collar graces the neckline. Launch date: 2007.

This 1:12 scale wooden dollhouse includes four rooms and a balcony, and comes with tools for assembly. It measures 24.8" L x 14.2" D x 23"H.
— “We cycle out what we carry year to year — right now we have a Plan dollhouse,” Tina Schwindt of Fairhaven Toy Garden in Bellingham, Wash., said when asked in June 2008 about top-selling furniture and playhouses.
— “Plan Toys — not selling a lot right now, given the time of year; generally, I’ll sell six rooms a month. … As we get into fall, [we] will expand [the line] a lot more; it’s a line we love and their dollhouses are great,” Jerome Crawford, owner of Crawdaddy’s Toys in Lafayette, Calif., told TDmonthly.
— When asked about best-selling furniture and playhouse items, three of 62 retailers told TDmonthly that they carry dollhouses by Plan Toys. There was some concern, though, about slow sales at the time of the interviews, in early summer 2008.
— Heiko Peine, owner of Treehouse Toy Shop in Cumberland, Md., told TDmonthly in a Summer 2011 survey that they sell 1-2 each month.
— As of 06/29/2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Simple yet high-quality; durable. Cons: Too deep and dark to play on the bottom floor.

Outfitted with magnetic closures, this portable dollhouse with a wooden handle comes with a kitchen unit, a table, a rug, a fireplace, a sofa and other accessories.
— “We sell playhouses — wood playhouses from Ryan's Room,” Kathy Goeddy, manager of JaZams in Pennington, N.J., told TDmonthly when asked about best-selling furniture and playhouses in June 2008.
— One other retailer, out of 62, mentioned dollhouses from Ryan’s Room as a top-selling item in that category.
— The Ryan’s Room brand offers several different styles of wooden dollhouses.

With classic decor against a subtle pastel color palette, this three-floor dollhouse include four open rooms, two staircases, a chandelier, a terrace and wide windows. It comes with 11 furniture pieces and is suitable for fashion dolls up to 11.5" tall.
— “KidCraft always does well,” Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop Toy & Book Store in Scottsdale, Ariz., told TDmonthly in June 2008.
— “KidKraft — their big dollhouse for Barbie,” answered Jeanne McCullough, owner of Children’s Store Inc. in Boise, Idaho, when asked about best-selling furniture and playhouses.
— More than 6 percent of retailers surveyed in June 2008 said dollhouses by KidKraft are good sellers in the category of playhouses and furniture.

Suitable for ages 9 months and up, this three-story home features nine rooms and measures 17" x 17.5" x 17". It includes a spiral staircase, bay windows, French doors, a balcony, and front-porch steps and lanterns. It comes assembled except for some accessories.
— “Calico Critters has a townhouse that was given to us … [and] sits on a play table,” Jennifer Vanderish, co-owner of Picayune Toys in Dunwoody, Ga., told TDmonthly in early summer 2008. “Kids just love it; it's amazing.”
— “Calico Critters — they've moved away from wood,” said Margy Pein, owner of Tree House Toy Shop in Cumberland, Md., when asked about best-selling furniture and playhouses. “We also have Plan, and Calico Critters outsells it six to one.”
— Four of 62 retailers named Calico Critters when asked about best-selling furniture and playhouses in June 2008.