Toy Collecting - Sylvanian Families

If there's anything these past two months have made me realize, it's that I'm now also a Sylvanian Families/Calico Critters toy collector.

And I blame my Re-ment collections for that.  Lol!!  I mean, when one has these miniature sets/Re-ment sets/collections, it would be nice to use those or at least get those displayed as much as possible, not just stored.  But how does one display their Re-ment collections more cohesively but also with dollhouses correct?  So not just in display cases but also with other toys where both may go well together.  And thus came in the Sylvanian Families dollhouse and accessories toys by Epoch of Japan.  Gah.

I first came across Sylvanian Families or Calico Critters maybe in 2011, when I saw my niece's toys, one of which was this adorable ferris wheel set of cute little critters which turn out to be a Calico Critters set.  (For those not in the know, Sylvanian Families is marketed as Calico Critters in North America, Sylvanian Families in the rest of the world.)  I even told her/her parents to make sure to keep those and not sell them. Lol!

As I just moved addresses then, Sylvanian Families toy collection was the farthest thing from my mind, even after I came across another SF set I liked in 2012/2013, the camper/caravan.  I had other priorities though, so hadn't bought it as I found no real use for it yet.

But fast forward a few more years later, when I have collected more than a dozen Re-ment collections, and looks like this SF search and purchase has become the natural progression. Lol!

I don't buy every SF release though so I don't buy every house/cottage/lodge or shop they release.  I choose sets that I quite like, and then make sense to me first and foremost.  And so far, the sets I've purchased are releases from several years ago whose designs I seem to prefer vs the more recent ones.  And so they tend to be ones I see online, vs the limited selection of SF toys at the bricks and mortar stores here in Vancouver/Lower Mainland (what a pity).

I think the oldest design/release I bought must be the Crepe Shop (from 2002 but came with my Street Market purchase which was possibly released in 2012.).  It's either the Crepe Shop, or the Chocolate Rabbit's Kitchen/Courtyard Restaurant, or The Sylvanian Toy Shop, both from 2008/9 or earlier. Or I think the Garden Shed set.

Anyway, my first SF home purchase is not even solely a home but the Chocolate Rabbit's Kitchen/Courtyard Restaurant piece.  It's like a multi-functional home piece as the front was a restaurant and the back can be a home.  I figured that's even better 'cause then I can keep as much SF clutter in one place and thus make it less messy, less storing or lying around of the different SF toys in different parts of my apartment.  So I thought it's a good design and good value.

Joined a Toy Auction and Won

This week, while perusing online for which Sylvanian Families house might be best for me to buy especially when I don't intend to collect all of them, I finally found it.  It's big but definitely not among their biggest.  And it would be the first Sylvanian house I'm buying.  And possibly the last.  That's why I made sure it's the best possible one that I can afford so I don't have to keep buying their home lines as it's unnecessary and I don't want to clutter my place even more.  If I have to get one, then it had better be the one I like best and that I can afford.

At the beginning I almost chose the starter home but after I came across this house, I think this is a better starter home even though it's not marketed as a full Sylvanian home/house.

*image from the internet

*image from the internet

I like it better than the starter home 'cause it has not one but three outdoor spaces, and the 2nd floor is divided into two rooms with a door. Lol.  So you can combine it with not just interior Sylvanian Families furniture stuff but also non-interior sets in one house (i.e. garden, stores, etc).  Kill two birds with one stone.  Best value methinks, especially when I don't intend to buy another Sylvanian Families home.  Plus I like the color theme they chose.  The walls aren't dark and the roof is light blue.  Light and happy colors.  Looks cleaner.  I love it.

*image from the internet

Cute eh?  But apparently this house was released way back in 2008 and major or toy retailers no longer sell this model, not even new on the big online auction site, not these days anyway.  Too bad.

So in the end, when I found at least one to three used ones available on the auction site, I bid for one of them.  Since these are used items, only some of the accessories in the pics above come with the house.  And also comes with other Sylvanian Families set/furniture/figures that the seller is including in the auction for the house.

The auction duration for this item is like a week, and it feels too long when you're the bidder, 'cause you won't know if you won 'til after the auction time has finally ended, about a few days later (depends at which point during the auction time you first chanced upon it).  Lol!!

For at least the two days before the auction end time, no one else was outbidding me.  It was quiet.  But on the last day, wow, I knew that's when some would start outbidding my bid.  I had to fend off at least two bidders with auto-bids, the latter of whom was really determined.  The latter also bid on the other available one at that auction site and lost so I guess that's why that bidder was particularly determined that they even tried to outbid me again about 1 minute before auction-end time. Last minute.  Can't believe it.

I actually made use of the auction site's auto-bid settings twice or thrice during the whole process since my first bid for it.  Auto bid is like the site's system will do the subsequent bids for you if you provide them your max bid now and the system will then outbid for you any new bids coming in, up to the maximum amount you entered (since you can't be around all the time to monitor the auction).  The last auto-bid I did was for the determined other bidder 'cause I notice they were really going for it and I might not get this item after waiting several days for it.  I don't wanna wait and look again.  It's tiring.  Lol! And I bid for it before they did for some days already.

So I did some deductive calculations then come up with my auto-bid/max bid each time I had to fend off the new outbidders.  Hehe!  I'm glad it worked as the other bidder tried again to outbid me at the last minute and my auto-bid/max bid calculation efforts paid off.  I hadn't expected the last minute outbidding at all as that bidder got quiet for about 2 hours before bid end time then they did the last minute thing.

Anyway, long story short, I won the auction.  Lol!  By about 2 bucks vs the determined bidder and 2 bucks less than my final max bid.  I think the other bidder ran out of time since they tried to outbid again only last minute, but my max bid was rather higher/rounded off instead of an exact match to the other same models also currently at auction at the time.  Whew!  Lol!  This auction thing, especially when another keeps outbidding you, was kinda stressful and made my heart pound. haha!  So thank goodness that's over. I don't want another auction experience to be like this.

This order should arrive before end of July.  Can't wait.  I might place it at the corner of the kitchen countertop where I can always see it while doing dishes, and get rid of the mess that's currently occupying that corner.  That corner is actually not easy to reach too and also gets stuffed by messy items that aren't always being used so I think that might be the best spot for this Sylvanian Families house.

I have another Sylvanian Families item that I'm bidding for and it's not a house.  And no other bidder for it yet either.  'Cause I think the seller labeled the item name wrong so it probably doesn't come up when people search for it at the auction site.  Shhh!!  Lol!  Hopefully that works out and then I've all the big Sylvanian Families stuff that I find interesting purchased and done and won't have to buy a big Sylvanian Families item again.

Just Bought - Sylvanian Families Rustic Kitchen + Halloween Dress Up

I've been looking for this Sylvanian Rustic Kitchen set for some time and always find it's discontinued or sold out.  Until last night..

*image from the internet

I like that this set comes in light colors and looks really cute, and comes with the table and benches that can double as outdoor or patio furniture.  It looks rustic but at least updated.  So it seems more appealing than many of the other Sylvanian Families kitchen sets.


So I found a site that sells this set new last night as I can't find one on eBay even, used or new.  And I went ahead today to get one along with this Halloween Dress Up set, which I also haven't seen on eBay.

*image from the internet

And yes it comes with the stickers.  I love that it comes with a pumpkin and a witch costume/broom. Classic!  hehe! And the little rabbit looks really adorable in his orange costume.

*image from the internet

I decided to get the two in one shipping as it only adds 1 unit more to the cost of shipping, vs getting each at different times separately.  Hopefully I don't get taxed by customs when it gets here in.  Lol!