You Never Know Unless You Ask...

Someone once told me, if you want something, ask for it. Sounds simple enough, but so many of us either fear rejection or worry that we may be imposing on another. That doesn’t seem to be the case in the mini world, and I never cease to be amazed at how frequently I have found a source, solved a problem or received a piece I needed, simply by asking. Miniaturists are by nature giving people who love to help each other. We also derive a certain amount of pleasure and self satisfaction by knowing that we have helped out one another. In that respect, I think we are even more caring than many other hobbyists out there.

I try to support the local NAME events in my area and the “Summer In Tahoe” State Day is a favorite. In appreciation, the club that puts it on sent me a complimentary kit from last year’s project. It was a Wizard’s Room, based on Dumbledore’s room in the Harry Potter series. As I began looking through all the pieces of the kit, I realized that the window in the room was a traditional window. Having never seen a Harry Potter movie (I know, don’t say it), I had no idea what this room should look like, but I assumed that since it is supposed to be in a castle, the window would not be one of a regular rectangular shape. It should be a Gothic window I thought, but I don’t think I have ever seen one available, and after a short bit of research, I determined I was right; it should be Gothic and there are none to be had.

All miniaturists know that if something is not available (or not affordable), you make it yourself, but a Gothic window was going to be a bit of a task. I had a basic idea and further researched some windows. I found a couple styles that would work and figured if you cut two identical pieces, one slightly smaller than the first, then layered the smaller one on top of the other, it would create a three dimensional effect. My problem would be how to cut this. Doing it accurately by hand would be difficult at best. I needed a way to cut identical pieces, with curves, both smooth and neatly. I needed a laser cutter. If you need something ask…

I suddenly remembered that I knew someone who made laser cut kits and had a laser cutter. But would she be willing to take on a job this small – just one window? Only one way to find out; I emailed her a couple drawings along with a description of what I wanted and asked if she could do it and for what cost. To my surprise and pleasure, she sent me back a picture of a proto-type she made and asked if it was okay. The price was very reasonable, but she said if I wanted to buy in a quantity of 10 or more, I could get 40% off. Wow! With none of these available and the popularity of wizard and castle themed projects, I could be the only supplier of Gothic windows; so indeed, I ordered 10. Now, if I ever need another unusual window I know where to go.

The point here is that I encourage you to always put out the word when you need something. Ask friends; post to your Internet groups; post to the NAME Online Region if you’re a member, whatever it takes to reach as many people as possible. You will be surprised at the number of replies you get as well as alternative suggestions. I have yet to put out a request for something that has gone unanswered. Like I said, we miniaturists love to help each other. Anyone looking for a Gothic window…?

It's Not Just About The Sale

I attended a Mini Flea Market & Potluck this weekend hosted by a club in the San Jose area. These types of events are becoming more common in my part of the country and I suspect, given the current economy, probably in other areas as well. Over the past few years a lot of local miniature shops have closed and shows are shutting down, so for many of us these events fill our obsessive need to enlarge our mini collection. However, there is usually a reason people are getting rid of things, and much of the time it is because it j.d.l.r. (you remember “just doesn’t look right” from my earlier post). So often the shopping is, at best, hit or miss. But if you are observant, you can frequently find a bargain that will make your day, and the challenge of the hunt is what keeps us going.

You can often tell a lot about a miniaturist just by what they are selling. One of the tables contained a plethora of boxes filled with half finished projects, kits with missing directions, and a lot of empty, but fully built shops and houses. As it turns out, the seller was moving from a full sized house to an apartment, and space was now an issue. Sometimes you can also tell how far along in the hobby a person has progressed. For example another table contained lots of new, unopened packages of “almost scale” mini items from places like craft stores and so on. You remember the days when you first started mini-ing and anything small appealed to you. Now you look back on some of those early purchases and ask yourself: “What was I thinking?” These are the things that now end up on a flea market table in the hope someone else will see a more creative use than you did.

The real draw of these events is the potluck. But it isn’t the food, although most of the time there is a very good assortment and it all tastes good as well. But it is the potluck concept that brings folks together to share. It makes it a more relaxing day and gives us a chance to visit friends we don’t see as often as we’d like, discuss projects with each other, and catch up on the latest mini happenings. For many of us who are not in clubs, or whose clubs are inactive, these sales are a social outlet, and that interaction with other miniaturists is far more important than the sale itself. We love to sit and share our purchases with each other, no matter how insignificant they are. And we share the latest news of what we are making, or planning, or what in real life has kept us from doing what we really want to do. Outside of a miniature show, or a club meeting, it is the one time I can socialize with others whose eyes don’t start to glaze over when I talk. If you don’t have one of these mini fleas markets in your area, why not try and start one?

All in all, for me it was a good day and I look forward to the next one in May. For those in California, it’s at Sacramento’s Elegant Dollhouse on May 2nd, and the happy hunt for the elusive, ultimate mini been happening for almost to 30 years now! Maybe I’ll see you there.

Setting The Stage For A Mini Life

After high school I attended the Pasadena Playhouse, College of Theatre Arts. My goal, in those head-in-the-clouds days, was to become a famous Broadway set designer and although I worked in the industry for several years after leaving college, the theatre was not to be my life’s calling. I never regretted any of the time spent pursuing this avocation, however, as lessons learned around theatre arts proved useful to me in many of my later pursuits.

For me, the best part of designing sets was making the models that were presented to the directors for design approval. I seemed to have a natural ability to create models that stood out both in design and detail. A design for Ibsen’s play “The Master Builder” turned out to be a turning point in my life, although at the time, I never realized it. The play is the story of a successful architect who claws his way to the top of his profession at the price of happiness and personal relationships. The play is filled with symbolism and I wanted my set to reflect the same type of symbolism as Ibsen’s words. To that end, I created an entire set that looked like a newly framed house, without its wall coverings, symbolic of a person exposed to the world. The open partition walls could be moved and reassembled between acts to create three unique settings for each act. As striking as that set turned out to be, the model was even more impressive. Creating that model was the first time I had ever used balsa wood and had built things exactly to scale and with the detail and realism that an open framed house required. I saved that model for many years until it finally was damaged in a move, but that model represented the moment I became hooked on building scale miniature scenes.

In later life and in other occupations, I found that a model could speak volumes about what I envisioned and they could say it far better than my words. Whenever I had an important project idea to present, a model was always somehow part of the presentation. Without knowing it, I had turned into a miniaturist, and I had even learned about scale, partly through trail and error, and partly because of what law enforcement calls: j.d.l.r. (that is, things “just don’t look right”).

Throughout my working life I played at making miniatures in some form or another as a relaxing pastime. During this period I had no idea that there were people who actually pursued this as a hobby, or that there were clubs of adults engaged in this hobby. There were a couple of dollhouse and miniature shops I my hometown, but I always assumed they catered to Moms and doting Grandmas who crafted dollhouses just for their daughters and granddaughters. I was happy they did though, because it gave me an outlet to find the tiny items I often needed, but I always felt a bit out of place in these stores. I sometimes felt the shopkeepers were keeping an eye on me like I was casing the joint for a heist later on!

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There was nothing unusual about the summer of 1998. Two years earlier a severe back injury and subsequent failed surgery had forced me into an early retirement. It was in late July that I finally was beginning to move about more freely, so I decided to spend a day at our County Fair. Little did I know that I was about to have a miniature epiphany…

Beware the "D" Word

Miniatures are something that I've always found fascinating and something that stirred a passion within me. When I say miniatures I don’t mean the “war gaming” kind of miniatures, although that’s probably what comes to mind whenever you hear a guy talk about miniatures. No, I mean the other kind of miniatures… you know… tiny things… little copies of everyday items. I am always so reluctant to say “dollhouse miniatures”, because somehow I find the vision of a 60-something man playing with a dollhouse somewhat disturbing. And on more than one occasion the use of the word “dollhouse” within the context of my conversation has raised eyebrows. For that reason, I often find myself trying to validate my passion by using terminology that doesn’t end up making me look odd. Therefore when someone gives me that puzzled look and says: “What kind of miniatures?” I use terms like “scale reproductions” and “diminutive copies” or “architectural replicas”, almost anything to avoid using the “D” word!

Of course, when talking with my fellow miniaturists, there is no need to clarify, and I can openly come out of my miniature closet and admit that I really do like dollhouses! Even so, although I did make one I am still attempting to sell, I don’t really “do” dollhouses. I have room boxes, vignettes and miniature scenes in a variety of containers, but alas, no dollhouses. And not because I wouldn’t love to have an architectural replica of a beautiful anti bellum mansion; but because in reality I just don’t have the space.

So what is the intent of this blog you’re probably asking? Well, friends (the few who manage to tolerate or accept my idiosyncrasies) acknowledge that I do have a bit of a talent for writing, that I am passionate about anything I am involved in, and that I am definitely outspoken. It seems that today anyone who can string together a series of words into a legible sentence and has an opinion on any topic is blogging. So I guess that makes me about as qualified as any to write about my views on the miniature hobby. But more than just my opinions, through this blog I hope to share some tips and ideas, pass on some of my experience (especially the things I did wrong!) and in general create a forum where we can chat about minis and exchange ideas. Maybe it will even become an online clubhouse.

“Ahem… The meeting will now come to order…”

Oh yeah, as for my expertise on the subject… well, I think that will make a great second post, so hopefully that will be enough of an enticement to get you to come back and read more…