The Miniature Travelogue

Yesterday I had planned to drive up to Bangor and shop at Village Miniatures on Western Ave in Hampden. Having learned my lesson on a previous travel day to Belfast, I called ahead to be sure that they would be open. They were not. So, I quickly changed plans and called Barbara Hagan of Barbara's Barn. I asked if she could accommodate me this afternoon, and she agreed, thankfully. I really needed a door and window for the little charity house.

Barbara's Barn is kind of what it sounds like. It is small and open only occasionally, either by chance or by appointment. The building is a detached garage and the proprietors, Barb and her husband Dick, are well into their retirement years. I had met up with Barbara at the Augusta show, which her husband has organized for the Lions for over twenty years, but I was still not sure what to expect when I went into this shop. Judging only from appearances, my expectations were low.

As it turns out, Barbara’s Barn has been in business twenty-odd years and she has managed to build an excellent stock of both common and custom dollhouse miniatures. Though not a high-end collector boutique, a builder of houses or crafter of furnishings can certainly meet their needs for supplies out of this shop. As I mentioned, I needed a door and a window. Well, my cup runneth over.

As you can see (hopefully), her selection of Houseworks parts is very good, filling this corner and extending along the wall to another corner. Mixed in with them are other brands, plus some Chrysnbon kits and a great assortment of other exterior and interior finishing items. This whole corner has lots of interesting hardware bits, some dating back to the House of Miniatures days.

As you saw in the first picture, and can see again below, there are several houses and displays full of accessory items. Barbara does not have a lot of display items that are not for sale, but she does have a few of her prized items here and there, which she will be more than happy to talk about. My wife, who enjoys looking at but not working with miniatures, got a little guided tour while I poked in corners and crannies for interesting bits.

One corner that intrigued me was full of tools. I found one of those Easy Cutter tools by Midwest Products, which I sorely needed for cutting clapboards, especially fitting them around the door and window and into the gable end of the little charity house. I bought the bigger one because I have large hands, for one, and I do have some larger pieces to cut. I also found some picture framing trim boards and bought two sections. Between the trim and the frames I have given the Easy Cutter a workout already.

One section that I usually would spend a lot of time in is the books and magazines. She has a full shelf of them, but I did not get much chance to look, since I had other stops to make. I will make it a point to return another day and paw through the many titles, some new and some rather old.

So, if you live in the Capital area and you have a need in the mini realm, don’t go surfing to eBay or some far away superstore. Take a short ride up by the Windsor Fair, turn right at the cemetery and left onto Coopers Mills Road to number 208. Call first (549-5526) and you can expect good selection and great mini conversation at Barbara’s Barn.

Anne Day Smith is well known as a writer of articles and books about miniature artisans and collectors. Her articles, often more than one per issue, have filled out the pages of Nutshell News and Dollhouse Miniatures for many of the past thirty years. Most are about people at the top of their branch of the craft, like Brooke Tucker or Ruth McChesney, or Harry W. Smith. Others of her articles are about collecting and collectors like the Pat Arnell piece in the current issue of the Miniature Gazette.

Today I had the chance to turn the tables on my gracious hostess and talk with her a bit about her collection of miniatures, her books, and her experiences as writer and interviewer. I began to feel like I was interviewing the interviewer. At the end of our visit I asked Anne for permission to bring a camera and do a real interview for this website in the near future. She agreed readily. I’m looking forward to that in the very near future.

Last Saturday morning I made the trek to Benton Falls to pick up the "All Things Mini" roundtable project dollhouse from Andy Hoyt. I had intended to pay a visit just to see his shop and get an in-person look at his creations, and this was the final nudge I needed to get me there. It was like going to tool heaven :D

For anyone who has not visited his website, Andy makes incredible timberframe (aka Post-and-Beam) buildings in small scale. He used to build the real houses, but he "scaled back" several years ago, and now he builds models for sales offices, home shows, and even homeowners who want a copy of their home that they can "fiddle" with. And yes, a number of his creations are used by miniaturists.

Now, before you fall in love with a downscale design by Andy, take a deep breath. This gorgeous hardwood and amazing detail don't come at the price of a pressboard kit! But for the fortunate few who acquire this artisan's work there is a lifetime of enjoyment in store.

From the foundation to the rafters, Andy's houses are art and architecture at their best. Don't think I'm gushing or trying to pump you up with ad copy from a brochure, either. Andy's work is praiseworthy and the finished product speaks for itself, so no hype is needed.

Now, having said all of that about the houses, let me harp about the real reason that I just had to get into Andy's shop. Look at the tools! Smell the tools! Heck, he even let me touch a few of them!! Yowza...

Look at all of those clamps! He has a huge drawer full of clamps and half a wall full of larger ones. And those are just clamps! He has the same bounty in power tools, hand tools, and bins of wood scraps that could keep me busy for years.

Okay, now I'm gushing. Can't help but show my tool envy. B)