The Art and Science of the Dollhouse (1 Viewer)

[Bill Balcziak]

My four-year-old discovered Barbie. Now, thanks to this pink evil force of tyranny, she's become something akin to a crack addict trying to get me to buy her a Dream House for Christmas.
Granted, aside from the Barbie thing, she's a lovely child and she deserves a nice Christmas present. But I refuse to spend $100 for $1.60 worth of plastic with some pink paint on it!
It's inevitable that a layoff looms in my future (I work in the tech industry, so it's just a matter of time), and I'd hate to think that every time I looked at that $100 dream house, I'd only be able to think of the Mattel executive eating a nice steak at Morton's while I play dolls for eight hours every day with my daughter during my period of unemployment.
Can anybody offer some alternative to the Barbie crack house, uh, I mean dream house? Does anybody want to sell a hand-me-down dollhouse that might fit the bill? Is there a do-it-yourself option?

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Unfortunately Bill -
The power of Mattel's marketing department will probably overcome your devotion to your daughter. My daughter "recommended" the same gift.... Instead, my wife claimed we could build her an "heirloom".
The dollhouse is pretty darn exquisite (@ 400.00 for all accessories), and is everything I'm sure my wife's kiddy childhood would want. Working lights, shingle roofing, porch, stained glass lights, etc. But my daughter still digs her cousin's plastic 100.00 dollhouse that can literally be thrown around the room with no damage.
The "heirloom" sits on the floor in her closet.... DOH !!!!!

 

[Bill Balcziak]

$400?!?!?!

I'm not that devoted to my daughter unless she shows major improvement on her LSAT prep scores.