Today I am listing the smallest scale and what to do if you are not sure of the scale (and the consequences).
1/144 or 1"=12' is often called the size of 'a dollhouse for a dollhouse'. That is the most common use of it.
In Europe, last thing I knew, there was a lot of houses that were 3/4"-1' which is actually a good working size. No one in the US made anything that fit them though, so I did not include it. Occasionally I see one listed for sale somewhere, but generally no scale is mentioned. I wish it was! Some buyers get a real surprise I'll bet!
If you are buying something for a child, you might be surprised at how often toys are to scale. You can mix and match brands easily. I remember years ago Ninja turtles exactly were exactly 1/12 scale and so Donatello lived in my mothers dollhouse, a present from her small grandson! He fit perfectly.
If you see a great looking house for sale and don't know about size, try walking a dollar bill through the door. If it just fits with a gap over the head it is 1/12 in scale. Measure the dimensions of the room and see if they are reasonable for the scale furniture to fit. If it is online, ask the seller to tell you the inside dimensions of the door and also, at minimum, know the outside dimensions of the house so you can approximate the space. You can then look in a catalog or online and compare what they tell you to what other houses are.
Many people who make a house for their own pleasure will make a house to fit a space in their home and don't worry about scale. Often these are really great, well made houses but if the outside looks fabulous and nothing in the interior, it might be because nothing will fit properly. If you are concerned about the outside only, no problem. However, if you want your 8 year old to play with it, big problem.
If your house is not one of the above scales, you are going to have trouble finishing it. To furnish it, you may end up having to make it all yourself or having it custom made by some one and that can run into money. If you are looking forward to making it all yourself and being creative, it's no problem and you can get a really great house for a cheap price, but be aware that is what you are doing and what you will need to do.
Next time I will probably talk about types of houses.
As always, contact me if you have any questions or comments or corrections.
1/144 or 1"=12' is often called the size of 'a dollhouse for a dollhouse'. That is the most common use of it.
- They are actually more common than you might expect. Every dollhouse needs a dollhouse and it is easy to get carried away!
- If you measure properly, check out N scale railroad people, furnishings, decorations, etc. N-scale is supposed to be 1/160 which is slightly smaller, but not by much and the railroad people are not as careful about scale, because they are focused on the trains and not the background as they see it. Measure carefully. Some will fit and some will not, but they are often cheaper and really nice.
- When you get to this scale, it is all illusion. Nothing is expected to be real, it is just expected to look real.
- There are all kinds of tips and tricks to make things look real, so check out books or online, either in the N-scale groups or groups for 1/144 scale. I have found them to be some of the friendliest on the web. They tend to be super creative because you have to be if you want to work this small. Super creative people seem to be very emotional, but also very warm!
In Europe, last thing I knew, there was a lot of houses that were 3/4"-1' which is actually a good working size. No one in the US made anything that fit them though, so I did not include it. Occasionally I see one listed for sale somewhere, but generally no scale is mentioned. I wish it was! Some buyers get a real surprise I'll bet!
If you are buying something for a child, you might be surprised at how often toys are to scale. You can mix and match brands easily. I remember years ago Ninja turtles exactly were exactly 1/12 scale and so Donatello lived in my mothers dollhouse, a present from her small grandson! He fit perfectly.
If you see a great looking house for sale and don't know about size, try walking a dollar bill through the door. If it just fits with a gap over the head it is 1/12 in scale. Measure the dimensions of the room and see if they are reasonable for the scale furniture to fit. If it is online, ask the seller to tell you the inside dimensions of the door and also, at minimum, know the outside dimensions of the house so you can approximate the space. You can then look in a catalog or online and compare what they tell you to what other houses are.
Many people who make a house for their own pleasure will make a house to fit a space in their home and don't worry about scale. Often these are really great, well made houses but if the outside looks fabulous and nothing in the interior, it might be because nothing will fit properly. If you are concerned about the outside only, no problem. However, if you want your 8 year old to play with it, big problem.
If your house is not one of the above scales, you are going to have trouble finishing it. To furnish it, you may end up having to make it all yourself or having it custom made by some one and that can run into money. If you are looking forward to making it all yourself and being creative, it's no problem and you can get a really great house for a cheap price, but be aware that is what you are doing and what you will need to do.
Next time I will probably talk about types of houses.
As always, contact me if you have any questions or comments or corrections.
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