My dollhouse show surprise...

[uppitycats]

Going to the 3 dollhouse shows last week was my first. I didn't quite know what to expect, except that I'd find lots of vendors selling stuff...which indeed I did (my credit card has finally stopped smoking.. )

But I was sruprised about a couple of things: I didn't find any vendors of dollhouses themselves (well, there was one...but just one). I was expecting to find at least representatives with catalogs, and maybe a sample or two of their "models", but none were there. At least I didn't find any.

Nor were there very many vendors with building materials. A few more of these, but not anything extensive. I was sort of expecting a company like Houseworks to be there with planks, and crown molding and such...and only found a little bit of this sort of thing, with a few assorted vendors.

Are there reasons for this? I'm assuming it's mainly a cost-benefit issue -- not enough sales to make it worth the cost of setting up shop. But is there something more I'm missing? Seems to me that even if all they had was a table where literature could be picked up, they might get some new buyers??

[MiniMadWoman]

That's a very good question . . . I'm not sure of the answer though.

[prariegurl]

I have been to many different shows, in six different cities, and y'know, I can't recall seeing dollhouses for sale at any of them. It could be a matter of display space, since an eight foot table will hold three finished houses with room to turn them around so folks can see fronts and backs. That simply doesn't display much merchandise for the dollhouse dealer. Could be a cost/benefit thing as well. We all know that the price of the kit is a drop in the bucket compared to what we spend to finish and furnish them!

Jeri

[KathieB]

I noticed the same thing, Ann. I was hoping to get woodwork, windows, etc., for the houseboat, but that well was dry.

[BAS]

I would guess that as for the dollhouses themselves the cost to freight a completed home to wherever the show might be could be quite heafty - especially if you're located on one coast and the show is on the other! That and potential for damage along the way. I'd hate to be the artist who gets to a show, begins to unpack the crate (that cost them $$$ to send) and realizes that parts of the house have fallen off along the way.

As for larger "millwork" companies not being at shows, a part of that may be because the majority of larger companies prefer to sell through their dealers instead of selling direct to the end user. Not being at a show and selling to consumers is most likely a way to ensure that their dealers know they are not going to directly compete with their sales. When I first started in the design industry I was selling quite a bit of full size furniture and we found that the manufacturers out there either sold to the end user or sold to a dealer who sold to the end user but most often than not they did not do both. Kind of a "I respect that you're a customer and I don't want to compete with you so you'll keep buying from me" type of thing. I will make a guess that if you go to a trade only show (like CIMTA's Las Vegas show) you'll find a larger prevalence of big name distributors like Houseworks and Handley.

[bmatson]

Well, having never been to a show myself, I could just be way out on a limb here, but when I hear about a "miniature show", that would suggest to me that the dollhouses themselves might not be the main feature. I would expect it would be people trying to sell their miniatures and showcasing their work. But that's just me.............

[uppitycats]

Well, having never been to a show myself, I could just be way out on a limb here, but when I hear about a "miniature show", that would suggest to me that the dollhouses themselves might not be the main feature. I would expect it would be people trying to sell their miniatures and showcasing their work. But that's just me.............

Well, you're exactly right...that's precisely what it was. Guess I was just thinking a bit broader scope, or somethin'..

[Wolfie]

When I used to do shows and sell my dollhouses, I noted that I was the only one there with actual dollhouses. Roomboxes there were, and lots of them, but no dollhouse manufacturers or dealers were there. It would take a pretty big truck to cart all those things in to shows. I used to take 6 dollhouses for sale but would only put 3 out because table space was limited. When one sold I would have to go out and get another one and put it in the space, and then I also took orders for them. I used to do the Big Sam show in San Jose, CA. They didn't even have dollhouses there. However, they did have a display area where local clubs would bring their dollhouses in to show and presumably to sell. And again, roomboxes were there piled high!

I had a lot of orders believe me. The people with roomboxes did well. They would just stack them up like cordwood and sell from there. I wish I knew then what I know now - I probably would have bought up the lot of them! As far as building supplies, there were few - but mostly people brought their miniatures to sell and to buy. Fabrics, silk ribbons, flowers and feathers did very well. As did dolls.

Wolfie

[TinyJudi]

I am so envious. I haven't found any shows close enough for me to attend, but I sure would love to go to one. I also think that a mini show would be mainly minis, but it just seems logical to have some dollhouses there too.

[uppitycats]

I can surely appreciate the challenge of transporting an entire dollhouse (although there were several displays of people's houses there, and room boxes)...but I guess I was thinking more of catalogs, and representatives to talk to, for the dollhouses, and more building component stuff. I need to LOOK at some of it up-close-and-personal, not just the tiny on-line pics.. (like, I have a whole box of crown moulding that is a size I'll probably never use...looked good in the pics but is way too big for my tastes, although 1:12...)

There was a lot of electrical stuff there -- lights and chandeliers and such ... and the prices were WAY more than I was willing to even consider. I didn't pay that much for the REAL lights I just had installed in my real house!!!

[Anna]

I know that when we went to the mini-show in Dockland, Londond (there were 200+ traders there, heaven!!!!) there were actually some house traders as well, some had ready built small cottages/shops that one could bring homw with them but the others had their model houses with them and took orders, and there were also a fair amount of sllers who had trims and such so perhaps it is just who is there as vendors???

We were lucky enough to haul home a lot af minis, we had packed light going over for the weekend and well not so light one our way home LOL

Hugs

[justmesue]

I've never had the pleasure of attending a dollhouse show! But if I hear of one within 200 miles of my city I will go!