Sometimes instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour, I stay up late scrolling through eBay and Etsy looking for interesting half scale stuff. The best finds are the ones where the seller doesn’t know what they have.
Last week I randomly searched Etsy for “1:24 window” because once like two years ago there was a big lot of Majestic Mansions windows that I didn’t buy and wished I had, and you never know when that might happen again.
This innocuous search landed me on this listing for a 1:24 window that frankly looks too big for half scale, but is marked as 1:24 on the packaging. The seller (JHFCollectables) wasn’t one I remembered seeing before and I clicked through to the store to see if they had anything else.
Readers, I was not disappointed.
I ended up buying six lots from them. Each one had only one picture, and in the pics that included a ruler, it wasn’t particularly helpful. But I had a good feeling that it was all half scale, and I could tell some was artisan, so I decided to spin the wheel and take my chances.
1) Rope Bed ($5)
I recognized this bed since I already have one just like it. It was made by Warren Dick and is signed on the bottom. Here it is next to the one I bought last year (for much more than $5) painted by Karen Markland. I’ll use one of these in the Mansard Victorian.
2) Wicker, porch swing, and… footstool? ($12)
I thought the wicker might have been Pam Junk’s (like the ones shown in this post) but they’re signed “S Vallas.” Anyone know who that is?
No signatures on either of these, but they’re nicely made. The footstool thingie is actually a doll’s bed, which I can use in the Mansard Victorian’s child’s room.
3) Victorian bedroom furniture and jelly cabinet ($12)
The bed and dresser are Concord Miniatures, and I already have one of each of these. I was more interested in the cabinet, which I thought might be made by CJ’s based on the knob. Here it is next to my CJ’s hutch.
Nope, but it is signed. The signature is etched into the bottom of the cupboard, and I think it says Ry 6186 W-5. Any guesses?
I didn’t notice in the listing that the dresser is missing a drawer. Ironically, the one I already had (on the left) is also missing drawers, but the finish is a little different so I can’t just swap a drawer from one to the other.
4) Bedside tables, high chair, and ??? ($12)
I recognized the little end tables as going with the Concord Victorian bedroom set.
The blanket chest also seems like a “made in China” type piece, and it has an odd shiny top (a piece of acetate) that I might try to remove. I guess the piece with handles is a butcher block?
The high chair was the most intriguing piece in this lot. I thought it might be William Clinger.
Nope, it’s Oldham Studio. Just as good!
I found a spot for this in my Mansard Victorian, where it goes nicely with the Bauder-Pine furniture.
5) Linden Swiss dishes, Farrow Industries mason jars, and two metal bowls ($14)
No surprises here, since I could read the labels in the original picture. These will work well in Momma’s Kitchen.
One of the metal bowls has T&E on the bottom, which the internet tells me is T&E Brownawell.
6) Shutter holdbacks, Marie Toner lamp, and ??? ($14)
I almost didn’t get this one, but $14 is a good price for the lamp by itself and I was curious to find out what the two unidentifiable items in the back were. The 1:12 shutter holdbacks can be used as embellishments in half scale.
The other items are a 1:12 towel bar (or 1:24 curtain rod?) from A-Dora-Bill Miniatures, and three round bi-pin bulbs. I’ve never seen round bi-pin bulbs before.
I got all of these into my cart and then almost didn’t pull the trigger when the shipping added up to $22. “It’s almost midnight,” I told myself. “Get off Etsy and go to sleep.”
But then I noticed some small text telling me that I could sign up for Etsy Insider and get the shipping for free. This is a new Amazon Prime–type subscription that’s in beta mode. I signed up for three months for $18, which means I already got my money’s worth.
(That is what it means, right? I didn’t snookered, right?)
Nice finds! You did good!
Delightful to see! Congratulations on your latest treasures!