Stacie, I collect them too, and find most of mine at yard sales and flea markets. Most of mine are packed away now. I have two old type trays that I have to display mine in...so my criteria is they have to fit in those spaces. I still pick some up from time to time...just got in the habit of looking for them. Most of mine are animals, and I usually pay from a nickel to a quarter for them.

I find all kinds of cute things in Michael's. I also have a complete dollhouse (packed away in my Mom's attic) that I collected in the 60's. It's called The Petite Princess Dollhouse.

In the past I collected a series of little mice called "Little Cheesers". They look so cute in my shadow box.

I collected them for many years. Belonged to the local Miniature Society and DH and I built custom dollhouses for adults. My favorite miniature is a bouquet of red roses that an artist friend created for my birthday. It is made of paper quilling. I have given some of mine to friends and the other things are packed away. It's a fun hobby and one that takes up very little space. There are several magazines on miniature collecting. Some have patterns and craft ideas that are fun to make. Bettye/AZ

I have three rooms and a country store my sister made for me back in the 70's she was a superb miniaturist I'll dig out the photos and post them.
1 inch equals 1 foot was the going scale they used back then.

My dd made a shadow box of a country farm market years ago, that she entered in the state fair. She made a lot of the stuff in it out of polymer clay.

It is getting harder to find miniatures around here. The dollhouse stores have all closed. The craft stores seem to be concentrating on scrapbooking stuff, and have cut way back on stuff like miniatures (and needlecrafts). DD is currently looking to re-do her dollhouse and the only place she was able to find miniatures was in the toy aisle of AC Moore's (large chain craft store in the NJ area).

Another shadow box DD made when she was pretty young was a girl's bedroom. She always was one to think out of the box, and she was very impressed by the fact that dollhouses, shadow boxes were always so very perfectly done. She was only about 8,9 at the time--she made a gorgeous shadowbox--pretty pink bedroom, little quilt, crocheted rug, etc--but it was a MESS. Bed not made, shoes tossed around, toys not put away, etc. Looked like a REAL child's room. She was really proud of that creative effort--LOL--and still has it in her condo, on display in her grown-up bedroom.

Stacie, is there anything in particular you are looking for? I have some, that used to be my daughters.

Moni

Yes, watch garage sale, estate sales and farm sales. Lots of them avaiable. Also you can keep them in the plastic boxes you find in the sports dept that the people keep the fishing stuff in and they come with plastic inserts. Look in the craft dept etc. My favorite are made by Plano, and Darce for counted cross stitch stuff. I prefer new because old ones can be hard to keep closed.

Stacie....it sounds like a fun hobby. There are miniature or doll house stores, I'm thinking, all over the country. I went to one in Minneapolis, where they had almost any thing in miniature. I used to build doll houses and make most of the furniture, and built-ins, like kitchen cabinets. I even made dishes, and food items out of clay. I hope you cn find the items you want, Dottie

I have 2 old printer trays that I use to hold my small "treasures". I picked both up about 25 years ago at a flea market, and surprise ~ the other is a handmade one and was advertised on Freecycle!

My treasures have dwindled quite a bit since my daughter has taken a shine to some of the "stuff" and I greatfully passed some "stuff" on as I enjoy seeing her enjoy it. I guess my addiction is to the miniature Red Rose Teapots that were give-aways with tea. The hunt is half of the fun and the chase is worth it every time I find one.

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And this is the handmade one:
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Here are two purses my sis made back then one is her Bake shop (each hand made bakery goods and a Toy Shop for me
I'll post in three posts one shoes the purses open

Here is a link that might be useful:

up close Bake Shop

Here is a link that might be useful:

up close Toy Shop

Here is a link that might be useful:

Moni,

I am looking for anything. I have old celuloid hair clips, miniature toys, clip on earings, just anything that strikes my fancy. It is so fun taking a few minutes and looking at them, my girls also love looking at them. I a have added some mismatched barbie shoes for them. I would love if you would have any to share.

Stacie

Stacie, a couple of months ago, I was at the flea market and a
guy had some old jars and each one was filled with all kinds of little oddiies and miniatures. I bought a jar from him to make my own....I think it is a jar that was used to store tobacco. Has a 1917 patent date. Anyway, I was looking at his jars and one really caught my fancy. I decided, what the heck, I am going to buy it....I'd pay the $25 just to see everything that he had inside of it. Heck no...I didn't read the price right....it was $125!!! I had to pass, but I have enjoyed filling my own jar with trinkets and little odds and ends, all of them old.

Loved seeing the pictures!

This is a shelf I made about 20 years ago I put it up every year

Here is a link that might be useful: