Only perfect miniatures are valid?
Published in Food for thought · Friday 05 Apr 2024
You probably have already seen a diagram like this one somewhere before...
Is it also true for dollhouse miniatures as a hobby?
The short answer? NOPE!
Stay with me... :)
Though it is true that a cheap and well made miniature is rare to find, after all, the more perfect it is, longer it took the artisan to learn and perfect the technique, therefore their expertise is more valuable and so are the miniatures they make.
And it is also true that when we make them ourselves, they don't come out necessarely perfect, especially if we are still learning.
But even if you can indeed make a perfect miniature yourself, it won't be cheap! You still have to buy the tools and the supplies. Usually you can't buy just enough to make ONE miniature. If it uses a sheet of specially coated paper, it's more common to find a pack of such paper. Even if you only use a tiny drop of glue, you'll still have to buy the whole flask/tube of glue. Or paint. Or a whole block of polymer clay just to use a 1/20th of it. That's cost! Even if you only use recyclables as source material, you'll still need paint, glue, print labels, etc. There's still the hourly cost that you spend researching on the internet for visual reference, or tutorials, or printables, there's the cost of accessing the internet, and your own "salary" per hour. It's not as much as if you pay someone else to do that, but it's still a cost, right?
But... do you know why none of that matters? For TWO basic reasons:
1) FUN. We LIKE miniatures! So, whichever miniature we like is the one we want to have. It might be because that miniature reminds us of our childhood, or because it was a gift from the heart by someone we care about, or just because we like it and that's it! And even though making or collecting miniatures is not therapy, it is still very therapeutic and a lot of fun! The aim is not necessarily to achieve perfection, but to spend some quality time, have fun, learn new techniques, finish a room, interact with people who share the same passion for minis.
2) A GOOD MINIATURE IS THE ONE THAT FOOLS THE EYE. This is even more true the smaller the scale! You don't need a functional (door) lock for your 1:24 roombox/dollhouse or furniture. A small piece of laminated paper, with a bead for handle and a jewlery finding for key are more than enough to transmit the idea of a door lock to the viewer. "Oh, but I want one that really turns and locks for my 1:12 dollhouse, just like in Queen Mary's Dollhouse!". Ok, that is also valid. But then you'll either have to develop the necessary skills to make one - I honestly wouldn't know how to make one, not even in real life scale, let alone in miniature - or pay for the skills someone else has and knows how to make a functional one. Then that diagram is oh so true!
So, in the miniature hobby "universe", there are:
- Serious collectors who only buy the best and most perfect miniatures to place in their carefully built mansions in miniature. This is a valid goal!
- Those who only wish to embrace their inner child and have fun while putting together one or more dollhouses and work on their creativity, in the lowest possible budget. This a a valid goal!
- Those who just wish to participate in the community, exchange ideas with those who share the same passion for miniatures, without even having a specific room in mind. This is also a very valid goal!
As a hobby, what really matters is what makes you feel good, what entertains you, whatever brings you joy and happiness. This is why all kinds of miniatures have value, there is room for them all.
And it's all good! :)