Melissa & Doug Classic Heirloom Victorian Doll House
by Melissa & Doug
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Our Price: $78.65
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Category: Toy
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Melissa & DougBrand: Melissa & Doug
Release Date: 2007-03-13
Model: 2580
Product features:
- Decorative detailing throughout the interior and exterior
- High quality wooden dollhouse
- Room furnishings sets are available separately
- Recommended age rating is 6 years and up
- Great value
- Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Furnished Dollhouse
- Melissa & Doug Deluxe Doll-House Furniture- Living Room Set
- Melissa & Doug Deluxe Doll - House Bedroom Furniture
- Melissa & Doug Deluxe Doll-House Kitchen Furniture
- Melissa & Doug Deluxe Doll - House Bathroom Furniture
Toys and Games Reviews of Melissa & Doug Classic Heirloom Victorian Doll House
Customer Review: Barely mediocre build quality
Summary: 3 Stars
Bought this for my daughters for Hanukkah / Christmas. The description of this toy is only partially right. It is, at least technically, made of wood. However, there's very little chance of this becoming any sort of "heirloom."
First the good news: this dollhouse is very large and my girls will likely really enjoy playing with it for however long it lasts. From ten feet away it looks all right. The colors are rich and bright and the exterior is well detailed. Inside, the walls and floors are also nicely decorated in a Victorian style by means of a laminate over some sort of wood product that feels and looks neither like particle board nor solid wood.
Now the bad news: The build quality of this thing is akin to a Soviet television set from the 1960's. Pieces fit together extremely poorly and often have to be forced into place. Luckily, they are relatively sturdy, so you can apply a good bit of pressure before they break. Unfortunately, the "wood product" it's made from does crack if a screw goes in at an angle. When finished, there are unsightly gaps between panels, even in the roof, which is the most visible surface on the whole toy. I doubt the kids will notice or care, but spending this much on a toy comes with an expectation of quality that, unfortunately, isn't met.
Assembly, as other reviewers have noted, requires a significant investment of time and effort. The house comes packaged in dozens of individual panels which must be assembled in a counterintuitive order. Adding to the difficulty, none of the pieces are labeled and the illustrations in the instruction manual can be less than clear. On several occasions I installed a panel only to discover that I used the wrong one or put the right one in the wrong place. Other than that one important caveat, the instructions are actually pretty clear if you take a careful look at them and make sure you have the right piece before starting.
One suggestion: the first few pages of the instruction book -- it is 35 pages long -- contain illustrations of each piece so you can take an inventory before embarking on this journey. Personally, I would make sure each and every piece is present and accounted for before moving forward. I would hate to be missing a piece and then have to disassemble the whole thing, package it back up, and send it back.
During the assembly process you will become very well acquainted with your screwdriver. It's important to have the right size, as the screws are pretty small. It's hard to use a standard issue Phillips screwdriver because it tends to slip. I opted for #1 from a miniature screwdriver set and it worked well. Be careful if you decide to use a drill since it would be extremely easy to strip one of these low quality screws and/or crack one of the low quality panels down the middle. Fortunately, all the screws are the same size and you get used to them after a while. I'm a reasonably handy person, and assembly took me a total of 2.5 hours without interruption.
Even if you're not handy, however, don't worry. You can do it, just go slowly and be careful. It's not at all hard, just time consuming and, from time to time, frustrating -- especially when you have to force one of the panels into place and worry it's going to break.
All in all, I think my girls will be happy with this toy -- but it is just a toy, and a cheaply made one at that. If I could do it over again, I would have invested more money in a real doll house made by a skilled woodworker. Like too many toys these days, this one looks, feels, and is disposable. If it lasts for five years, I'll be surprised.
Description of Melissa & Doug Classic Heirloom Victorian Doll House
Elegant Victorian style has never been so affordable! No detail has been overlooked in the design of this easily assembled wooden dollhouse. Excellent quality and distinctive detailing throughout the interior and exterior of this house will make it an heirloom to be cherished for years to come! Scale 1:12.Dollhouses Toys
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