Oldeoliveoyl Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 I need both the ground and top floors to this kit. I have traced the second floor, and can probably fabricate the 1st floor, but the 3rd floor is a bit smaller and angled differently. I hear Dura-Craft is out of business (about.com). Does anyone know of a source to either buy the part, or get a diagram of the missing 3rd floor so I can fabricate. Any help would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks Oldeoliveoyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Hi There Janet and Welcome to the forum!! I'm so glad to see you here! You can reach the owners by going to dollproperties.com That is a Beautiful Kit!!! Can't wait to see pictures!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvmypoodle Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 I have the Alexandria kit. I have dry fitted many pieces together and it goes sooo smoothly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 It would be a major PIA to figure, but if you could calculate the percentage difference between the second floor diagram on the schematic sheet & the actual dimensions of the floor in the house, you could take the schematic of the third floor & enlarge it that much on a copier & use it for a pattern to cut a third floor out of plywood. That would only be a last resort ir, God forbid, you can't get up with the owners. Good luck. That was one of the best things about Dura-Craft; no matter how badly an item was destroyed in shipping, or through the dh builder's own ineptness (and I was certainly deficient in ept with my first kit), they replaced whatever it was free, no questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldeoliveoyl Posted June 2, 2005 Author Share Posted June 2, 2005 Thank you all for the suggestions. I did go to dollproperties.com, and for $12.50 they will replace up to 10 duracraft replacement parts, I hope that is per dollhouse, lol. I have quite a few dura-craft. I know my Ashley had damaged channel pieces that I still have to replace, I was just lucky I had more myself. Thanks again, I am tickled pink! OldeOliveOyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Please share your progress with us That is a BIG house, and looks pretty (Hobby Lobby had one assembled). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllThingsMini Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Did your Alexandria kit "COME" with the missing pieces? And another question I have...In the HBS catalog, it appears that all the pieces, on the interior side, are painted white. Do they come this way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 The house comes in the plaine MDF finish (would be cool if they did paint it though LOL). I have a farmhouse 505 with missing parts and need to get them. I also have the heritage (Love those gothic windows) and I am unsure of the parts cause I got it a long while ago too. I need to check these kits B) . This house has a front and two sides the other two sides are open for veiwing and decorating. It is a WONDERFUL house. Very very pretty. In the mini shop I use to do stuff with, it took 3 of us ladies to move it. It weighs a ton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldeoliveoyl Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 Well, sorry to report that dollproperties.com is somewhat of a sham. I went to the site, paid my $12. by Paypal and listed the parts I am missing. This morning, my money was refunded with just a simple "We don't ship to Puerto Rico". Tracey, you KNOW that there is no difference shipping to me as anyone else in the US. We have the USPS deliver mail every day, and I have a zip code. I even saw a press release stating that dollproperties.com is the sole distributor (get this) "worldwide". You're right, the Alexandria is heavier than a dead minister, and I have no doubt this is the actual problem (high shipping cost). The fact remains, that they didn't try to resolve this at all with me, I have plenty of relatives state side if the problem was that they don't know the way to the Post Office. But the info I filled out stated it would be shipped Parcel Post, which takes a long time, but no problem. I have called the phone # in the press release, and all I get is an answering machine. Be afraid of this company, be VERY afraid!!! Oldeoliveoyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Janet, I will see what I can do on my end for you. I will send you a personal email with the email address they sent me when they first closed. Hopefully, talking to the right person will resolve this matter. I know for sure Dee's Delights & Aztec are not carrying there products any more and that was where I first heard they were out of business. Let me check okay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nameless1 Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Yikes. I went looking for the news, and there it is, sort of: http://miniatures.about.com/b/a/162457.htm Dollproperties.com claimed they were going to ship Dura-Craft worldwide. Last I heard, Puerto Rico was on this planet. http://www.prfree.com/index.php?cur=index&...3MmbW9kZT1tc2Fd Other sellers are saying Dura-Craft packed its tents and vanished into the night: http://www.eloradollhouse.com/dura_craft.html (Admire this one's characterization of Greenleaf products, please!) Weird. Very weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldeoliveoyl Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 Thanks Tracey for sending me the Ebay ID for this "person". He has several very expensive kits on ebay now with starting prices of $1. with no reserve shipping charges range from $25. to $40., I bid $1. on several just to see if they had a reserve on them or not. Should I win one, LOL, I will definitely purchase Paypal's new satisfaction or your money back option. I think that is the only reason I got my $12. back. But I figured what the heck, for $.91, thank God I did. I feel bad, one person is bidding and wants the "pre-built dollhouse shipped immediately as a gift...seller replied, no problem as long as you pay instantly! Like they say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I complained to one of the writer's of one of the "press releases", and they replied that they are just providing a service, they have no idea if the business is legitimate or not. I told them I planned to call the US Attorney General's office to complain, they said they thought it was a good idea, lol!!! Let me repeat...be afraid of this company, be very afraid... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 I just read on one of the forums that someone won a kit and it was the scraps! It was just a matter of time before this sort of thing got out of hand... Maybe it'll bring back the bricks-and-morter mini stores, and that's a good thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldeoliveoyl Posted June 4, 2005 Author Share Posted June 4, 2005 I am trying one more time, before I get irate, lol. So far, dollproperties.com hasn't answered any of my emails nor has the ebay user name. I went back to the site and followed the same procedure, paying my $12.50 with Paypal and adding their satisfaction fee. This time though, I added my in-laws address in NY as the ship to address. Let's see what they have to say this time. The amazingly odd thing about it, is that Puerto Rico is a selection on their drop down menu. As a precautionary measure, I did change my Paypal password. I am pretty sure this is a scam!! I'll let you all know what happens!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judithfa Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Janet-- I was aghast to hear of your problems. This is such a wonderful hobby and there are so many nice people in it, but once and a while ...... I have been to Puerto Rico a couple of times, and it IS on this planet (as Calamari said) :lol: I hope you can find your missing parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judithfa Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 I just read on one of the forums that someone won a kit and it was the scraps! It was just a matter of time before this sort of thing got out of hand... Holly -- that is scarry! Just when i was thinking that I would start bidding on Brookwoods as they appeared on ebay. Hmmmm... I guess I think about this for a while. Thanks for the info. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Janet, I am sorry that you are having these issues with them. It is sad since they have some of my favorite houses too. As I said, I still have a few of there kits in my garage. I hope you get your missing parts Dear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllThingsMini Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Yikes! This is a nightmare! You can bet your royal patootie I'll never recommend that website to anyone. Please keep us posted about what they say regarding the NY delivery address. Interestingly enough, I went to their website and the first 3 words on the homepage say FREE SHIPPING ALWAYS! So they shouldn't even charge you to go to NY. Sheesh! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvmypoodle Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Have you tried emailing them again. Did you get the Alexandria off ebay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollProperties.com Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 This is Charles, I am the manager of DollProperties.com. As you may not know, Dura-Craft did go out of business- Bankrupt. I need to be very clear- We are not Dura-Craft nor did we ever own Dura-Craft. We simply bought their inventory out of Bankruptcy. I feel like the comments on this site are based out of the game "Telephone." Please do not assume Dollproperties.com can just provide you with free parts, we are not Dura-Craft. We are a business like any other business and we only have a limited amount of each house left. Now, as a reasonable service, we are providing parts for those who are willing to pay for them. We have to part out a kit to retrieve parts for others who need them, rendering the kit almost useless if we do not sell all of the parts. $12.00 is reasonable. A box costs $1.00, labor costs $2.00, the part could cost $1.00 to $15.00 (we will give you up to 10 parts for that price), shipping costs a minimum of $2.00 for these parts. PROFIT= $0.00 and sometimes is a loss. I must say again, we are providing a service that would otherwise not be available for those who purchased a Dura-Craft dollhouse from someone other than us. Dollproperties.com always provides FREE parts to our clients, people who have purchased from us,,, PERIOD- no questions asked. What other website do you know that provides free shipping on everything, even a $1.00 order? Ther are none, they don't exist. To this extent, my heart is kind of broken listening to the comments made here. I provide great, great, great prices for the miniatures industry. Never have we scammed anyone. On Ebay, we are that seller who is starting the auctions at $1.00, EstatesInMiniature. Look at our rating, over 600+. Point proven by the rating, what you bid on is what you get period. Never have we not refunded someone's money if they are not happy on Ebay, NEVER. Puerto Rico- I would have loved to help the lady from Puerto Rico, but shipping is not the same... I have been shipping to that area for years and it is expensive for freight. An average dollhouse costs $80.00+ for over the water shipping. Have any of you ever shipped to Alaska? It works the same way. She didn't seem to understand that. She has also been bidding on my auctions, when they specifically state Continental U.S. on the Ebay shipping section. I like her, I do not have any problems with her, but it concerns me when someone isn't understanding and does not see the whole picture before speaking. This is a tough world as it is, we do not need to hurt people's businesses or slander each other. The facts are very important. Please remember, histeria breeds histeria, and in a world where life, death, and consequence mean very little these days, all we have is each other. Please reconsider your thoughts now that you know the facts. I am a member here, I was invited by the moderator to join. She has bought many items from me in the past and she can attest to our legitimacy and great prices. Thanks, Charles Puerto Rico- Call me, we can work something out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 Hi There Charles! I see you got signed in alright so I will disregard the email you sent to me. I figured this may have been a missunderstanding and I must say, Janet (from Puerto Rico) is a doll! I have shipped items to her in the past and shipping (via usps priority) was only a few bucks more than the Continental U.S. (she bought a 40 pound kit recently) and because we are here to encourage and help the miniature industry grow as a WHOLE, I felt it was a good idea to have you here Charles. I personally did not know the complete story behind Dura-Craft and I am saddend to hear they went Bankrupt. I have bought from you in the past (and you have bought from me too) and we have only had wonderful transactions which is why I encouraged her to please contact you (I gave her your ebay name)! Please send Janet a PM by clicking on her name and click send email (or you can click send PM which means personal message). So once these wonderful kits are gone, they are REALLY gone! Shucks, I need to order some parts soon for my farmhouse 505 and Heritage kits ;) :lol: . I am so glad you joined so that you could tell your side of the story and now we can all put it past us. I am sure she would be willing to pay the extra shipping to get parts she need (she is missing a MAJOR part in my opinion ) Let us know how it turns out Both of you! and please stay in touch!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nameless1 Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 Puerto Rico- I would have loved to help the lady from Puerto Rico, but shipping is not the same... I have been shipping to that area for years and it is expensive for freight. I'm so sorry to have to correct you, Charles, but Puerto Rico is part of the United States and has the same Parcel Post shipping rates as the continental U.S. As an experienced eBay seller, you may want to check out the Packing & Shipping messageboard on eBay, where you'll find many participants who can confirm that USPS Parcel Post shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. military bases costs the same as shipping within the continental U.S. If you try a test case on the USPS's postal calculator, you can demonstrate this for yourself. USPS Priority Mail is often more expensive to these places because prices are zoned, and non-continental locations may be zone 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 USPS Priority Mail is often more expensive to these places because prices are zoned, and non-continental locations may be zone 8. Calamari, I did not know that! I wondered why the cost would be different when I shipped to Hawaii or Puerto Rico. It still was not too big of a difference but now I know to use Parcel post to keep it the same price. But then again, with the cost only being a few dollars more (I think Janets was only like a $3 Differance and that was via Priority Mail) it is almost better to send it that way ;) . See there, I learned something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 Thank you Charles/Dollproperties.com. It was really great of you to step in and explain the process, as well as what is going on with Dura-craft. I hope that you can help our friend, and I know that you will. As you say, your feedback rating should say it all, so I know that you will do everything within your power to help our friend with her problem. And, of course, welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllThingsMini Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 Puerto Rico- I would have loved to help the lady from Puerto Rico, but shipping is not the same... I have been shipping to that area for years and it is expensive for freight. An average dollhouse costs $80.00+ for over the water shipping. Have any of you ever shipped to Alaska? It works the same way. She didn't seem to understand that. She has also been bidding on my auctions, when they specifically state Continental U.S. on the Ebay shipping section. My only question is....If it's stated in an article about Dollproperties.com that you ship 'Worldwide' and if Puerto Rico is one of the options in your drop down menu as she stated, why wouldn't you ship there? If shipping isn't to Puerto Rico isn't an option (unless issues like this come up), perhaps you should change a few things at your website to reflect this. No one likes to be mislead. Anyhooo....that's just my 2-cents worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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