Diaper Swappers

iris0110 · 12-06-2012, 10:08 PM

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20 might be something you would like. Tharen had a Hape play kitchen and we loved it. The quality was wonderful. It was simple to assemble and held up very well. It is about the same price as the larger CC house you linked. There are some other fully furnished houses on Amazon as well.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20 Another that looks like a good option.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20 more expensive but they do get good reviews.

isabelsmummy · 12-07-2012, 01:09 AM

I just ordered a set.
My girls played with the 'deluxe village house' at the store and loved it. I'm not sure I thought it was all that great quality to be honest, but got tired of torturing myself with online shopping and just ordered it. It gets better reviews than the townhouse on amazon.

If you google deluxe village house gift set you can find it for about $120 and it comes with one room and one family.

One thing I did like about the house was that you can play with it from different sides so 2 kids can play. I do think that calico critters are a bit little for my 3yr old but I think she'll enjoy it as much as the 8yr old. I'm pretty sure the littlest pet shop animals will be living in the house so I've not bought any more pieces at this point.

NYCVeg · 12-07-2012, 08:08 AM

I think that's a lovely gift for your son.

My dd has a Calico Critters dollhouse that she got from her grandma. She's 6 and a half and has been playing with it for about 4 years! The pieces hold up very well, although some of the tiny stuff (food, etc.) gets lost easily. After 4 years, some of the fur has rubbed off the critters as well, but I think that's to be expected. Dd loves how detailed and realistic the pieces are.

The big downside, to me, is that Calico Critters stuff is REALLY expensive. You get much less per set than, say, a Playmobil set at the same price.

PiecesOfKate · 12-07-2012, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iris0110

If it were me I would buy a nice wooden doll house and then buy either CC furniture sets to go in it or just the people. Like I said my old Sylvanian house has survived for this long but I am pretty sure it is by pure luck rather than design. Something like this is really cute http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20 Or Melissa and Doug make several larger wooden doll houses and castles. Tharen has one of the large castles and it is a favorite toy around here. Plan, Hape, and Ryan's room also make wooden dollhouses in the correct size for CC families. If you shop around you can probably find a decent deal on the house and still have enough to buy some furniture and a couple of families.

I shouldn't have opened this thread. I am supposed to be finished shopping for the girls but that treehouse is in my Amazon cart right now!

mrosehughes · 12-07-2012, 12:23 PM

update in post one

HeatherlovesCDs · 12-07-2012, 01:15 PM

Personally, I'd go with the Costco one. I love Costco, been a member for probably 20 years now (with my parents at first). Everything I've bought there is great quality and they have a awesome return policy. I've seen this house in the store and it looks very sturdy and fun. I know my daughter would LOVE it. But, that's just me.

iris0110 · 12-07-2012, 02:20 PM

Well it is really hard to argue with free. I think I would see about finishing the one in the basement first. You might be able to make it really cool. Depending on the size you can always turn a two room doll house into a 3 or 4 room doll house with simple dividers and you can paint or finish it with wall paper or scrapbook paper and paste. That would allow you more money to add the families and furniture for inside.

I don't think there is anything wrong with Kidkraft, the products are supposed to be well made. The only issue with that house might be that it is meant for use with 12inch fashion dolls like Barbie so the size is going to be a bit off for CC families.

isabelsmummy · 12-07-2012, 02:53 PM

I looked at the Kidkraft ones too but I the scale being off really bugged me. I also didn't like the way the 'style' wasn't really calico critters.

Since you potentially have a free one, and he is 3 ( so won't know the difference ) I would totally use that. Paint it or clean it and then you'll be able to afford more 'stuff'. If it turns into a massively huge hit you can spend the big bucks later on the fancy house for his birthday or something!

mrosehughes · 12-09-2012, 06:30 PM

Update 2 in post one; we got them!

12-06-2012, 10:08 PM	#11
iris0110 Registered Users Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: N TX Posts: 13,307 Ratings: 235 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Calico critters http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20 might be something you would like. Tharen had a Hape play kitchen and we loved it. The quality was wonderful. It was simple to assemble and held up very well. It is about the same price as the larger CC house you linked. There are some other fully furnished houses on Amazon as well. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20 Another that looks like a good option. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20 more expensive but they do get good reviews. __________________ ShannonInk'd, Atheist, Liberal, Part Time Large Equipment Mechanic, HS-ing, Mum to ASD Ninja Kearnan (8-4-01) & Derby Boy Tharen (12-1-05) Always remembering Arawyn Born Silently (12-21-03) Crocheted longies/shorties, toys and more see samples Arawyn's Garden Crochet

12-07-2012, 01:09 AM	#12
isabelsmummy Registered Users Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 2,561 Ratings: 2 Feedback: 100%	Re: Calico critters I just ordered a set. My girls played with the 'deluxe village house' at the store and loved it. I'm not sure I thought it was all that great quality to be honest, but got tired of torturing myself with online shopping and just ordered it. It gets better reviews than the townhouse on amazon. If you google deluxe village house gift set you can find it for about $120 and it comes with one room and one family. One thing I did like about the house was that you can play with it from different sides so 2 kids can play. I do think that calico critters are a bit little for my 3yr old but I think she'll enjoy it as much as the 8yr old. I'm pretty sure the littlest pet shop animals will be living in the house so I've not bought any more pieces at this point.

12-07-2012, 08:08 AM	#13
NYCVeg Registered Users Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 193 Ratings: 5 Feedback: 100%	Re: Calico critters I think that's a lovely gift for your son. My dd has a Calico Critters dollhouse that she got from her grandma. She's 6 and a half and has been playing with it for about 4 years! The pieces hold up very well, although some of the tiny stuff (food, etc.) gets lost easily. After 4 years, some of the fur has rubbed off the critters as well, but I think that's to be expected. Dd loves how detailed and realistic the pieces are. The big downside, to me, is that Calico Critters stuff is REALLY expensive. You get much less per set than, say, a Playmobil set at the same price.

12-07-2012, 12:23 PM	#15
mrosehughes Registered Users Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Arvada, CO (near Boulder/Denver) Posts: 1,776 Ratings: 41 Feedback: 100%	Re: Calico critters update in post one __________________ working mom to Owen 10/29/2009 and wife to Brad. My ISO/IHA http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/...2#post10991862

12-07-2012, 01:15 PM	#16
HeatherlovesCDs Registered Users Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 8,818 Ratings: 98 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Calico critters Personally, I'd go with the Costco one. I love Costco, been a member for probably 20 years now (with my parents at first). Everything I've bought there is great quality and they have a awesome return policy. I've seen this house in the store and it looks very sturdy and fun. I know my daughter would LOVE it. But, that's just me. __________________ Heather SAHM to 6 who are 7 and under, including 2 sets of twins and our last little miracle, a surviving identical twin, born Oct 2012!