Best Classic Toys 2003

Victorian Dollhouse (5300)

• Dollhouse

Price: $199.99

Phone: 800-752-9662

Year Introduced: 1991

This is a great favorite that was first introduced in 1991. It is a three-story Victorian dollhouse with great role-playing opportunities. There is five rooms plus an outdoor terrace. The house can be furnished with accessories to compliment each room. Accessories are each sold separately. This dollhouse includes a family of three. It is a durable product, creative and fun to use.

In 1876, a locksmith named Andreas Brandstatter created the beginning of Playmobil by founding a lock and metal fitting company in Furth, Germany. His son took over the company in 1908 and changed its name. The company moved to Zirndorf, Germany. In 1930, the company began making toys for toyshops using metal and going through another name change. In the beginning of 1950, Horst Brandstatter started the new era of focusing on plastic. He designed a machine that could perfect the technique and the first Playmobil item made was a closed racing car. It began developing accessories and figures. In 1974, they were introduced. Hans Beck was born in 1929 in Thuringia, Germany. He mastered construction engineering skills and at age 29, he worked with Horst Brandstatter in developing the beginning of the Playmobil system. They designed a system of vehicles and buildings that are compatible with each other. Playmobil products provide use of imagination, development of problem solving skills, role-playing and communication skills. You can learn more about Playmobil by visiting their website: www.playmobil.com.