is mini-ing popular where you live?

[miniwendy]

I was noticing that some places appeared to be a lot more mini-friendly than others. For example, here in Indianapolis, it doesnt seem very popular. Theres only one mini shop and its 1.5 hours away. When you do see a dh for sale on Craigslist, it will be for sale forever and ever with no interest. Only seen one local pickup on ebay and it was priced pretty high. It seems like there are constantly bargains in the Northeastern US and parts of Florida and California on ebay.

I remember someone saying that it wasn't very popular in Australia.

What about where you live?

Wendy

[Wolfie]

Why do you think I call myself Lone Wolf? No, people here are on the low end of the economic scale. Things are bad here as our local business which is a lumber company, is closing it's doors come December. Why they pick the holiday season to lay everyone off I don't know.. This company has been the backbone of Seeley Lake. There are now teachers leaving, people moving out. We have no interest in minis as people need to feed their families here. The only hobbies here are knitting, crocheting and quilting. Other than the things to maintain your family, people here hunker down and you don't even see them in the wintertime. Like us I guess. Nope, no interest in minis here. There was a mini shop in Missoula when we moved here, but they got out of minis and do rc planes and trains only. The next closest mini shop is in Great Falls and there is one in Butte or Billings....and they are a long long long way from here.

Sad isn't it? But as I have stressed before - minis are a hobby with ups and downs depending on the economy and the state of the country. It has highs where it is so popular there were shops 3 and 4 to a small town....and you wondered how they stayed in business....then the lean years set in, and lots of those shops go out of business and/or go online. And then there are the valleys in between the good and the bad years where you vegetate. But it never goes out - it's always there just waiting to come back into the popular life again!

Don't despair - become very creative! Learn to do everything! You never know when those skills will be needed.

[champagne]

I was kind of surprised to find out that Savannah, GA did not have any miniature shops or dollhouse shops unless you count AC Moore. Closest miniature shop I can tell is Charleston, SC and Jacksonville, FL. One day I will make a trip to both and see if I can find any shops.

[Kitten]

Hmmm...

Well, I live in a mid/upper-middle class neighborhood and judging from the traffic that the local miniature shop gets, I'd say it's fairly popular here. When I go into the shop during the week, there

usually isn't a LOT of people, but a fair amount. It's usually packed on the weekends and during the Christmas holiday season. The owner has been there for 17 years, and the rent isn't cheap...so I have to believe she gets a fair amount of business.

Not too far from us there is a town...Frankfort, that is definitely upper-class and there is a mini shop over there that has been around for a long time as well. It's usually pretty busy anytime I've gone as well.

[jeninky]

There are two miniature clubs in Indy and NAME office is in Carmel and the National Covention is going

to be held there next year!!

http://www.miniatures.org/states/IN.html

[Little House fan]

It's not popular in this area either; craigslist tends to be pretty slim pickings and there are NO shops within two hours. I agree abou the northeast. If I check craigslist outside of Philly, there are always tons of houses available and shops too. Too bad I wasn't into minis when I lived there!!

[heidiiiii]

Mini-ing was very popular in my neck of the woods. Heck the local museum has a whole section that is just dollhouses and miniatures. You see pockets of people that have a love for it when I go to yard sales and such. People clearing out the attics of loved ones..miniatures in the mix.

There are no stores close to me. There is one about an hour away and it eventually will be gone also. The lady running the country store that has miniatures in it has to be in her 80s..(not kicking her off but you know what I mean).

It will come back into Vogue eventually. Everything always has a way of coming back around the corner.

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

I'm here on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and the nearest mini shop is an hour away. Lots of foreclosures and small businesses closing. I'm the only one I know of in my section of the Cape and the Cape Cod Craigslist hasn't had any dollhouses.

[Tams]

There's a mini shop in Great Falls now? When I moved away from there in 1995, there wasn't. (I might have stayed if there was! lol ) The first mini shop I ever went to was called Cheryl's Miniatures in Great Falls. I'm guessing this was about 1980. It closed about a year later.

Here, it seems like minis are almost like a shameful secret. A couple years ago, when I had our thrift store, I had my dollhouses on display down there. I figured it would give us some room in our tiny house and would generate interest in getting people into the store. Many people would come in and tell me about their dollhouse and how they'd have to invite me over to see it sometime, but those invites would never come. However, about a year ago when I was placing ads all over - newspaper, bulliten boards, the craft store, etc. - to start a local mini club, not a single person responded! It's like people are thinking "Oh no! If I go to that meeting, well people will [know/i]!" The closest mini store to me is in the cities - Minneapolis/St. Paul. I don't travel much and when I do, it's either to Sioux Falls for a doctor appointment or back east to visit family. The good thing is, the town my sister lives in DOES have a mini store, that I will be visiting in November. Too bad Ohio is so far from me!!!

[havanaholly]

Did someone open another miniature shop in Jacksonville? Tina's in Starke moved to her garage. The next closest mini shops to me (I live NW of Tallahassee) are Ron's in Orlands (>350 miles) and Miniature Memories in Charleston, SC (a bit further than Ron's) and maybe Atlanta, where I'm scared s***less to drive.

[julygirl56]

We used to have 4 shops here in Vermont. The Enchanted Dollhouse in Manchester {2 1/2 hr. drive} was AMAZING. Six large rooms of nothing but dollhouses and miniatures. Even had their own workshop to build dollhouses for you. Unfortunately the owners were getting older and wanted to retire, kids didn't want it, so they closed over 5 years ago. B) Fred's Dollhouses was in Pittsford {1 1/2 hrs. drive} He passed away a few years ago and it closed. The doll's house shoppe was also in Pittsford, she closed 3 or 4 years ago. Big House, Little House was in Randolph {1 hr.drive} and I'm not sure if he's still open. Haven't seen any ads for a while now. No Hobby Lobby's or A.C. Moores here either. Only thing here is Real Good Toys in Barre. {1 hr. drive} And I've never been there in the 52 years I've lived in Vermont. Never even knew they were there until I joined this forum. Have never met any one that is into dollhouses and miniatures around here. There is never anything on Craigslist. The things I've gotten from there have come from New Hampshire. I have never seen anyone on this forum from Vermont either. Guess I'm the only one.

lyn

[pastalinda]

The one and only mini store near me is owned and run by an elderly man. We often wonder what will happen when he no longer keeps his store open. He told us that business is not as good as it used to. He blamed internet sales for the decline.

[Gayle]

The only miniature shop in the whole state of South Carolina is in Charleston but well worth the trip.

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

Awww Lyn... you have all of us!!! B) Debra

[pin1056]

we have nothing nil zero zilch B)

Actually there are a few shops but few and far between and never advertised, mostly internet sales and evilbay

I have heard of a few mini clubs but too far away from me to join

Also speaking of evilbay our listings under miniatures list average 800 items at one time compared to thousands in america, so i would say mini'ing hasnt caught on quite so much here yet

We NEED a big supplier...yoohoo Dean ...

Good houses are as rare as hens teeth i have been sooooooooooo lucky to get my Beacon and Barrington

[julygirl56]

Thanks Debra, it's nice to know I have my friends on the Forum to talk dollhouses with.

lyn

[Corwin]

There is a good member of us nuts here alas no mini shoppe not that it wouldn't do pretty good. There is also a booth at West ed expensive , but so is the 8 foot isle at the hobby shoppe.

[miniwendy]

Thanks Jennifer for the Indy mini information! That's really cool that the NAME convention is going to be here next year. That will be super exciting. Guess I'd better save up some $ and join b4 the convention, so that I won't miss my chance to go to one!

I checked with the clubs- the first is super far away, but I might be able to make the second one once in a blue moon (my hubby works a lot of Sats when they have their meetings). That would be fun.

[Lynette Smith]

When I was a kid there was the best miniature store in town. It had a huge Victorian all decorated and under plexiglass. They had classes. They carried all kinds of supplies. They were THE place to go. In the 90's they went away. Since then two other dollhouse stores close by closed. A few others opened and failed a short time later. The independant craft stores which carried miniatures have closed.

Now there is the Hobby Lobby, which is better than nothing, a hobby store whose entire mini department could fit in my small bedroom, and two shops run out of people's garages and you have to make an appointment to go. Those stores are both 20 miles away.

Online I found a NAME miniature club locally but the site says they aren't accepting new members (I question how old the notice is - maybe there no longer are any active).

There are 2 confirmed forum members who live north of me and rumors of a third closer by. I've wanted to do some group activities, but most people seem to be so busy with things. My problem is I'm time rich and money poor!

There were two houses in the state fair this year, a farmhouse and a 1/4' scale house. The names didn't ring any bells.

So I keep puttering away on my Pierce.

[justmesue]

Mini shops are hard to come by here too. Our local dealer left us a few years back due to health problems. her hubby kept a booth at a fleamarket for awhile, then he became ill, as well. There's a fairly large shop in Toronto "The Little dollhouse Company" 50-60 miles I guess, they do very well. There's also a tiny shop in Cambridge, 24 miles away, she does O.k. It seems however, that the few folks I find, that do mini, won't tell, they do! It's like a shameful secret, and they will not discuss it, unless someone brings it up first. Now, that's sad!

[miniwendy]

My problem is I'm time rich and money poor!

:lol: :lol:

[justmesue]

I have neither! Worked 106 hours in the last to weeks to have money, which left no time, and still don't have that much extra money for minis! LOL Presently, I'm rehabbing odd kitchen counter parts, and bashing Micheal hutches, to give the Willow, her "custom" kitchen she demanded! My family are "oowing" and "awewing", over it, so it must be turning out O.k. At least they pretend to support me, EEER, Humor me any way, guess that's more than most can hope for.

[Elicia]

boohooooooo...no stores for me anymore....I so enjoyed Dollhouse Artisans in Columbia, SC but alas, they have closed but promised to do "something" online but I haven't seen them yet....but....I'm going to DC to the show next month.....I will be thumbing back to South Carolina after I sell my car to pay for my minis.....heheheeeee.....

Anyone else going to the show?

Elicia

Fall has fallen in South Carolina

[nechee]

I must live close to you JustmeSue. The little dollhouse company in Toronto is a good 50-60 KM away from me. And the store in Cambridge is only about 20 KM away from me. There is also a very tiny shop (tinier than the one in Cambridge) in St Jacobs called the Elora Dollhouse. It is very tiny but she has some good deals sometimes. I bought my Beacon Hill from here and I only paid $183.00 CDN. Which is a great deal from what I have seen. Other than that there is no store where I live in Brantford, I wish there was, it would certainly save me gas so I would not have to go to Cambridge every two weeks.

[justmesue]

You are close by! I'm in Hamilton! I got my Willow in St-Jacobs, AT The Shady Tree! Unfortunately, the lady who runs The Elora Dollshop (IN ELORA) is also liquidating due to ill-health! Her supplies are limited. She brings things she can carry to St-Jacobs at that sorta "fleamarket" store. Nice to hear from a neighbor!