is this a good deal (wooden dollhouse) & ? for y'all...

[coolae]

hi ladies!
i found this today for $39 at marshall's...
http://www.amazon.com/Wonderworld-WW-6001-Eco-Friendly-Eco-House/dp/B001HX49EW
so of course i had to snatch it up for my 18 mo DD to play w/ in a year or two. the catch, alas, is that the people are missing. three people are supposed to come w/ it. otherwise, all of the parts are present and intact!
do y'all still feel like this is a great deal?
also, does anyone know how tall the average Melissa & Doug wooden doll is? i wouldn't mind ordering something like this...
http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Wooden-Family-Doll/dp/B0006NUI76/ref=pd_bxgy_t_img_b
if they'll fit in the wonderworld house.
THANKS!

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

Great deal, especially for being eco-friendly. Did you check out the Plan Toys people?

[maestramommy]

jmho, I don't think it's a very good deal. And the fact that it's missing people makes it even less so. Is it $40 because it was eco-friendly made?

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

Considering a M&D one at $87 (comparable size), and the dolls costing $20 or less, you still come out ahead. And M&D isn't eco-friendly, which is a big deal to me.

http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Furnished-Dollhouse/dp/B00006AG7D/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1280774165&sr=1-17

[maestramommy]

I am actually wondering WHY an eco-friendly toy is more expensive. I mean, it's made from recycled materials. Do these companies take extra trouble to obtain the materials? Spend more effort on construction/workmanship? I only ask because I bought some knock-off dollhouse at Tuesday Morning for $30 last year with a family of dolls. Very cute, with lots of furniture, BUT the workmanship was pretty cheesy. The furniture was rougher than the M&D house we had, and the roof kept falling apart. I finally glued it together so Arwyn could play with it without knocking it to pieces every time. The dolls seemed to be fine though.

[coolae]

Great deal, especially for being eco-friendly. Did you check out the Plan Toys people?

i think the plan toys people might fit! thanks!!!

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

I am actually wondering WHY an eco-friendly toy is more expensive. I mean, it's made from recycled materials. Do these companies take extra trouble to obtain the materials? Spend more effort on construction/workmanship? I only ask because I bought some knock-off dollhouse at Tuesday Morning for $30 last year with a family of dolls. Very cute, with lots of furniture, BUT the workmanship was pretty cheesy. The furniture was rougher than the M&D house we had, and the roof kept falling apart. I finally glued it together so Arwyn could play with it without knocking it to pieces every time. The dolls seemed to be fine though.

It is less expensive than the M&D that is almost the same size, so sometimes eco stuff is cheaper. Plan is pricier, but they are well made, and use fair trade labor in a factory that they own. Was the house you bought supposed to be eco-friendly?

[maestramommy]

It is less expensive than the M&D that is almost the same size, so sometimes eco stuff is cheaper. Plan is pricier, but they are well made, and use fair trade labor in a factory that they own. Was the house you bought supposed to be eco-friendly?

Oh, I'm sure it wasn't. I didn't recognize the brand at all, it definitely looked second tier. The instructions for assembly were almost non-existent, and the way it fit together, as I said, was rather cheesy. But it had more furniture and accessories than our M&D house (the victorian in pink and purple), and obviously our kids didn't know the difference. They thought it was awesome. Once we glued the roof together, everything was fine.

[coolae]

It is less expensive than the M&D that is almost the same size, so sometimes eco stuff is cheaper. Plan is pricier, but they are well made, and use fair trade labor in a factory that they own. Was the house you bought supposed to be eco-friendly?

well, it looks like it's made of rubberwood which they claim can be re"planted"/recycled (i don't really get that, honestly), the packaging is at least 70% recycled materials, and it's non-toxic paint. otherwise, the house itself has a wind mill, recycling bins, water-collector, bike, etc--stuff that's eco-friendly.

i e-mailed customer service at wonderworld and they're filing a claim to see if i can get some additional dolls...that would be great! if not, i think i'll find some other dolls to fit. the pieces actually look like wonderful quality, sturdy, so i think it's a keeper.

i can't see myself spending a lot on a dollhouse w/o knowing if my daughter will even like it or not, so i think this is a reasonable option. thanks y'all!

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

What makes Rubberwood "green" is when Rubberwood trees stop producing latex, they used to be burned down, now companies use the wood, saving other kinds of trees, while preventing the environmental damage from burning.