Miniature Collectibles: Getting Started In A Fascinating Hobby

Word Count:
505

Summary:
When one first begins to be acquainted with the world of miniature collectibles, it may seem a bit difficult to determine a starting point. If you have a creative side, then you may think about crafting miniatures yourself. For many though, the joy of miniatures is fully encapsulated in collecting the work of other artisans and using them to create specific dollhouse designs that fit well within the décor of your room or home. If you find yourself in this latter category, her...


Keywords:
miniature collectibles


Article Body:
When one first begins to be acquainted with the world of miniature collectibles, it may seem a bit difficult to determine a starting point. If you have a creative side, then you may think about crafting miniatures yourself. For many though, the joy of miniatures is fully encapsulated in collecting the work of other artisans and using them to create specific dollhouse designs that fit well within the décor of your room or home. If you find yourself in this latter category, here are some suggestions that may be helpful as you get started.

The first step in starting a new miniature doll house is determining what you want to accomplish with your rooms. What type of ambiance are you aiming for? Do you have pieces of furniture already that you can use as a base to build on? Are these pieces styled similarly? Do the pieces reflect a certain time period or type of home? Will the piece fit well inside a collection of like items? How big do you want your display to be – one room or a whole house with multiple floors? Setting goals about how elaborate you want your dollhouse to be and what type of miniature collectibles will fit with it is important.

Of course, if you are planning to make your own miniatures then you can create whatever pieces you need to fit in your display. If, however, you are not a miniature artist, then you can use the answers to these questions as a rough copy of a shopping list. You now know specifically what to keep your eyes open for as you peruse trade shows and craft fairs.

Scale is important to understand before you start shopping for new pieces for your collection. Miniature furniture and items are constructed based on a sizing scale, and paying attention to scale means that the pieces in a room or display are of the same proportion. You don't want to have an oversized arm chair paired with a tiny tot table! 1:12 is an example of scale. The numbers mean that one inch of your miniature display equals 12 inches in real life. The 1:12 scale is the most popular with dollhouse aficionados, but finer collections may use scales of 1:24 or 1:144. Preserving the same scale throughout your display is important to avoid an awkward look and bringing reality down to tiny size.

As with any hobby, miniature collectibles cover a wide range of values. It is a very good idea to determine a budget for your collection before you begin. You may choose to spend your money on just a few high quality pieces and to build you miniature collection slowly. Others will choose to buy less expensive pieces, but more of them and thus build their collection quickly. How you choose to build your collection is entirely up to you. No matter what your approach, you will soon find that you have gathered the information that you need to begin making intelligent and well thought out additions to your miniature collectibles.


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