November 2010, Issue 10
Dollhouse Tourism, Spain
Page 52
Sadly the miniature "business" is decreasing at present. Last century there were a vast representation of specialty toy shops in Spain that could introduce people to the hobby by offering a nice selection of goods in a good array of prices. But now many have closed. For example, now in Madrid you can find four or
five shops selling miniatures for dollhouses or train models, and across Spain only a few shops remain open. The recession is pushing toy shop owners to the limit.
There are two magazines published periodically that unite the collectors, the largest, Miniaturas Magazine (www.miniaturasrevista.com), by far the most important magazine edited monthly about dollhouses and miniatures in Spain right now. The editor is very dedicated to the industry and offers miniatures and tutorials as the main focus each month. There is also another publication published bi-monthly that is less dedicated to miniatures and focuses more on dolls and toys called Muñecas.
With the popularity and availability of the Internet, every miniature artist, collector and shop started to create great pages, blogs, forums and online stores to create a huge Spanish online community and take this hobby into the next century. They are too many to name, but this has helped this hobby to be more let collectors also access international artists and shops.
Next stop, Russia.
Custom Dolls, Houses & Miniatures / CDHM