Thursday, April 16, 2020

World's Smallest Barbie Dollhouse: Now in Classic Colors!

Currently, the best available price is on Ebay for $14 for the red and yellow version.


If you aren't familiar with the "World's Smallest", it is a pretty cool line of retro toys, they probably have made a tiny version of your favorite childhood toy from the 60s or 70s, I own the Lite Brite, Lincoln Logs and Adventure Team GI Joe. They even have a Barbie size record player (turntable) that spins records! All are a great value considering you can actually play with all of them, they are not like a Hallmark ornament, they really are  mini version of the real thing. This set comes with the 3 best selling Barbies of all time: Zebra Swimsuit, Malibu and Totally Hair. They are smaller than, I think, the regular World's Smallest figs.

The stickers are reminiscent of the 1979 Colorforms set still around on Feebay. Feebay will also have HO and other similar scale furniture sets from overseas. Germany makes great little sets, but they are $35 a room! If you added a hook, this would be a deal of an ornament though.

https://smile.amazon.com/Worlds-Smallest-Barbie-Dreamhouse-Multi/dp/B084RFZ4HT/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=worlds+smallest+barbie+house&qid=1587063545&sr=8-1


The designers have taken liberty to somewhat redesign the house. You'll notice the front lanterns are gone, there are 3 added upper balcony planters in purple or mauve, there are double front doors upstairs, vertical slats, the downstairs horizontal windows are now 4 panes instead of one, the windows look tinted to reflect the blue sky outside, and the vertical lower windows are square not rectangular. 

This is similar to having the Colorforms house, you can take it with you in the car to play with during long car rides. Of note here is the particular choice of kitchen sink console...the same exact one I first showed the world on the blog how well it works, but with a yellow dishwasher. Since in the 15 years of collecting this house I have never, EVER seen another custom, much less yellow dishwasher added to the sink component, it is safe to say they got the inspiration from my blog post on here. Also, the white verticle cylindrical plant pots look especially like the ones I made from small plumbing pipe sections. Also, the bathroom vanity is like the arco one I used along with the Arco patio set I showed used with the house. Imitation is the most inner form of flattery, right? Though, it would have been nice to have been contacted since I was copied. I am disapointed for the red and yellow version of the World's Smallest Malibu house that there is not a yellow fridge or a green desk, which since they redisgned the stickers for this house anyway could have been easily done. They had legal permissions from Mattel to do this, so why they chose to design the house and furniture differently is beyond me. =-0
 

It would have been cool to have this in orange and yellow with more accurate architecture, but I'm happy with it. 

The balcony railing is removable and the roof tiles are matched perfectly. the house is only one piece though. 


PS: When applying the furniture stickers, they are moveable if you make a mistake or change your mind, I just use the edge of an exacto knife to pry off the corner, and the rest comes away, you can easily pop out the paper wall, place them exactly, and pop it back in. If making a Christmas tree ornament, you can custom cut a small piece of wire (dollar store), and bend around top center celing/roof beam at the peak and there you go! My new micro 1978 A Frame lives on my desk so I can enjoy it all day. =-)