Ebay Fever...or Sickness???

Ok, I admit it, I'm officially obsessed with Ebay. Can's stop checking, looking, searching, and yes, buying. I am trying to adhere to a budget, but have proceeded to order four Kaleidoscope Dollhouse sets (living room, dining room, bedroom and family of four), when I don't even own the house (boo hoo). I have ordered Re-ment items, some impulsively, and have purchased not just one, but TWO dollhouses in addition to some 1940s wooden furniture!!! I am growing out of my only dollhouse, the Villa Sibi, which sits, somewhat oddly, in our living room on a sideboard. My DH has said that I need a separate room for all my "stuff" and I think I do. Plus, the kids are WAY too curious about my Ebay packages, and want to open them before I do...NOT happening.

In some cases I feel like I get caught up in the bidding fever (and pay too much), and I find myself trying to hone my "final seconds bidding" technique. I'm trying to see the educational value in the Ebay-ing, in that I am checking out sold prices for items of interest, and also discovering cool vintage mini manufacturers, such as Renwal and Marx.

Right now, I am getting a whole lot of joy out of collecting minis. For quite some time, I have been feeling like I am always doing for others and not for myself. It's just too bad it's costing me some green.

Birth of a Blog

I've always felt the call of the small -- miniatures and anything large-scale brought small.  My first dollhouse arrived at five, and others followed.  Houses were then replaced by display cases to organize items and create little tableau. Things were eventually packed in boxes and stored away when I headed to college.

When the Kaleidoscope dollhouse arrived on the scene, I was expecting my first child and dreaming of rationales for purchasing it at $200.  I wish I had! My daughter gravitated to Polly Pockets, which while VERY small, did not hold great appeal.  Plus, they instantly got lost and were the source of anxiety should shoes and handbags be swallowed.

My two sons followed and are suitably obsessed with trains -- small, but just not the same.

Then, this past Christmas, my dear husband purchased a Villa Sibi for me -- what a surprise:

I actually found it on Craigslist for $300, but fretted over being indulgent in purchasing such an item.  I think DH knew it was a shoo-in and it stands now as the best present ever.  I've started to buy furnishings online (the white Kaleidoscope living room set is in the photos above), and also have been keeping track of the amazing array of modernist miniatures out there.  

I've only just begun, and hope to keep up with this blog.  Three kids and a full-time job may prevent frequency of posts, but I'm sure I'll be inspired to say something.