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suzy18 Sylvanian Families is a collection of toysets created by the Japanese gaming company, Epoch. The products include families in the form of animal figurines, their houses, shops, vehicles and anything that consists a small town.
There's a wide variety of Sylvanian collections, as its fan base has grown over the years to form a group of collectors. This buyer's guide will give you all the information you need to know to start your own Sylvanian collection or to add onto the collection you already own.
Sylvanian Families started out as “Shirubania famirī” from Japan in the mid 1980s. Initially, the dolls were manufactured using porcelain and wood but this changed to plastic as the production increased. Within a couple of years since its launch, Sylvanian families started to form a fan base all over the world.
From 1987 to 1989, UK consumers nominated Sylvanian Families as “toy of the year”, and the commercials became a fixture on children's TV channels. It was adopted into an animated series and was released in 1987. There is an universal affinity towards cute animals and a natural theme combined with human-life situations, which captivated all generations.
However, the toy market is a tough place to survive. In the 1990s, its popularity started decreasing and sales started to plummet. It got so bad that the sales of Sylvanian Families had to stop in the UK in the late 90s.
The brand resurrected in 1999 thanks to Flair, who saw that Epoch's toys still had a mass-appeal. It never lost that appeal in Japan, where you can find Sylvanian Garden theme parks and restaurants dedicated to the collection. There have also been a number of Sylvanian Families computer games, some of which, unfortunately, never made it to the UK market.
Today, toy lovers in the UK can find the entire Sylvanian collections again, allowing parents to introduce their children to one of the most magical toy brands around.
Before getting into the buyer's guide, you might want to know a little bit more about how Sylvanian Families work and how kids actually play with them.
As you probably know already, the toysets consist of families, usually parents and a couple children. Each family has a house (sold separately), with all the necessary furniture. The core concept is a replication of human life with animal figures, creating a Sylvanian community.
Sylvania is a peaceful place with no violence. Its little towns feature various shops, public buildings, schools, seaside resorts and vehicles like camper vans and ships. It's a collection that appeals to children in a special way that few other toys do — which may be why Sylvanian Families could have such a dramatic comeback.
The dolls in Sylvanian Families collections are generally made out of hard plastic, with a couple of metal springs to provide a little mobility. There are also a few porcelain models, generally ones that are made in Japan and imported to the UK. Wood is used to make the houses, which makes them more solid and durable than the average toy buildings.
One of the most marvellous things about Sylvanian Families is the range of its catalogue. The whole point of the collection is to enable kids to create their own alternate world with hundreds of figures and accessories created by designers. Here's a quick summary of the basic types of Sylvanian Families, before we get into specific products later:
Families — The heart of the Sylvanian community is families. Each family represents a specific animal, including hedgehogs, mice, dogs, squirrels and cats. Each family consists of a mom, a dad, a brother and a sister. The limbs are designed to move freely to give each figure a realistic characteristic and each figure comes with removable fabric clothing. This allows kids to change their characters' outfits (and even make their own), which adds a whole new dimension to their play. There are 19 available families in total.
Houses — Sylvanian Families need somewhere to live, therefore Sylvanian houses. That's why the designers have added a range of homes to their catalogue. Made out of wood and plastic, these homes are specially designed to be easily separable; you can remove the ceilings and wall panels and place furniture like beds, kitchenware and chairs so you can bring your toys to life.
Vehicles — Sylvanian Families have a range of options to get around their world. You can choose from cars, minibuses, scooters, camper vans and boats and they come with neat features like convertibles and family cars that have foldable picnic tables in the boot.
Additional Characters — Life in Sylvania isn't limited to four-person families. Those are just the basic sets that you can buy. In fact, Sylvanian fans can add to their collections many other characters like baby sets, which come with cribs and tiny milk bottles. There are also Sylvanian grandparents, toddler twins, dentists, doctors, nurses, ballet dancers and many more.
Special Figures and Furniture — If you are new to the in the world of Sylvanian Families, these sets can be a great option for you. They come with already dressed characters, whether those be any of the family members, as well as a few furniture pieces such as a couch, a grill or a rocking chair. Often available as combo deals, these sets are excellent value for money.
Household Accessories — You can add chracter to your Sylvanian houses with these tiny home items. Possible options include organizing units, chairs, sofas, beds, party sets, bikes, pianos, fridges, swings for a garden and even washing machines.
Other Settings — What is really exciting about the modern sets of Sylvanian Families is that you can create the entire community like how it is in real life. As an extension to your family house, you can add additional facilities like doctors offices, seafront restaurants, bakeries, boutiques, supermarkets, camp sites and cabins.
We've looked at some of the main product areas by Sylvanian Families already. The following lists some of the specific products you should also pay attention to:
Beechwood Hall — As the most luxurious house in the Sylvanian world, Beechwood Hall is a mansion that features five rooms, a balcony, a movable staircase, and two lights that are easy to operate. If you want to give your Sylvanian family a luxury life, Beechwood Hall will be a good choice.
Nursery sets — The nursery is separate from the cottages or houses and it offers a place for younger critters to spend the day with friends. It comes with clothes and jewellery, as well as toys, a piano and a swing.
Treehouses — The treehouse is one of the highlights of the Sylvanian world. This three-story house includes plenty of space for Sylvanian kids to get together and it comes with both a ladder and a slide.
The Grand Hotel — Sylvanians would love to go on holidays just like everyone else and the Grand Hotel is a great option for a luxurious stay. This elegant hotel comes with a master suite, a rooftop terrace, chandeliers, luggage trolleys and a reception desk with a bell. Just like the rest of the Sylvanian products, the details are amazing.
The Caravan — If you prefer more nature-filled camping feel, a caravan would be a perfect choice for you. Sylvanians can attach a caravan, or a camper trailer, to their car. This compact little unit includes a fully-equipped kitchen, seating area, beds and even a shower.
The Country Tree School — You can add a school to your Sylvanian community and provide education for all! There are desks for six, a blackboard and a telescope to gaze at the stars. You can add more desks, school uniforms, musical instruments, sports day kits and a school bus that are available for purchase separately.
The Supermarket — Grocery shopping is a necessity in Sylvania. The supermarket set includes a store with more than 100 products and a couple of new characters, such as the shopkeeper Perkin Harvey and a customer Freya Chocolate.
Field View Mill — This traditional windmill is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Sylvania. It features freely-rotating blades, a large side terrace, three internal floors and an observatory in the attic.
The Boutique — Add some designer fashion elements to your Sylvanians' lifestyle with this boutique. Managed by Cecilia Teak, the boutique provides up to 50 new items to your collection, which include handbags, shoes and jewellery. Just like most of the Sylvanian items, you can purchase the boutique on its own or choose the gift set option that comes with additional elements and is often around the same price.
By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what's available and how to start building your own Sylvanian community. If you still need more ideas, here are a few tips from the experts.
Start off by purchasing a family gift set, which includes a four person family and a residential house. It is not only more fun to start from an established household than a couple figures but also there are better deals that bundle houses and families.
Now, go one more step and think about extending the family or equipping them with some extra items. Baby sets are a popular next step, as well as dining sets or kitchenware. The houses that come in the family set can feel empty but with a few accessory sets, you can make them much cosier.
To add more onto your little Syvanian world, you can either add another family or other buildings like a school or a treehouse.
If you get a chance, look for deals on Sylvanian clothes. One of the most enjoyable elements of the Sylvanian Families is that you can play around with their outfits and create personalities. With deals, you can get a variety of clothes for less. eBay is the best place to start looking.
When your collection starts to expand, storage can be an issue. A neat trick is to buy a larger Sylvanian building like the Beechwood House or the Grand Hotel and use it to store your dolls and outfits. Some of the items in Sylvania are very small and easy to lose, so it is better safe than sorry.
If you are a genuine fan of Sylvanian Families, you are probably interested in the earlier versions of Sylvanian Families. Websites like eBay and Amazon are great places to pick up Sylvanian Families dolls from the 80s and 90s. However, you have to be careful because these vintage dolls can sometimes come flawed with hefty price tags and you can easily end up wasting your money.
Always check for any discolouration of the dolls. The discolouration and stains from direct sunlight or food spill aren't always easy to see from pictures online. Don't hesitate to ask sellers about the condition of the dolls if you have any doubts.
Another important thing to do is to check if all of the accessories are included. If an umbrella is a part of a grandparent doll set, find out if it's included. If not, you could be paying for a fortunre for a toy that isn't worth anything.
In order to get the most out of your Sylvanian dolls, it takes more than just buying houses, vehicles and families.
Storage system is vital. We've already noted that you can use a mansion or a hotel to store your figures and accessories but this might not even provide enough storage space. The company recognises this problem, fortunately, and it offers Sylvanian Families carry cases with separate compartments for figures and accessories. These cases also make travelling with dolls much easier, so it is worth taking a look.
It's also a good idea to keep the original boxes. Not only are they ideally sized to store a collection, they also provide a good way to keep your collection in its origininal state in case you want to sell it later.
You can your Kids can also stay up-to-date on what's happening with Sylvanian Families via various social media accounts. You can find them at Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Their website at www.sylvanianfamilies.net has plenty of games, videos and a chance to register for the Sylvanian Families Fan Club.
Sylvanian Families is a great choice of toy for children, providing an endless selection of figures and items that stimulate their imaginations. The only downside is that creating your own Sylvanian collection isn't usually the most affordable and the cost of buying more figures, buildings, businesses and vehicles can quickly add up. So how can you enjoy Sylvanian Families for less?
First, plan your collection in advance. Don't go buy five buildings and four family sets in one go. You don't know Whether your kid will love Sylvania Families. It might not be for them. So just in case it is better to start small. Once your kids show an interest, then it is time to start planning for more comprehensive sets.
When you're building a community, it makes sense to actually see the kits and characters in-person. Thanks to a number of shops around the UK, you can go into a nearby store to take a look at the products you're interested in. Simply visit the Shop section at the Sylvanian website to find retailers near you.
If you already know what you want, it's time to start shopping! Go to the Sylvanian HotUKDeals listings and type the name of the product you need. You should see a long list of promotions and discount codes from retailers like Argos, Smyths, Tesco, eBay, Amazon and Toys R Us. Pick the deal that is right for you and save money on your favourite Sylvanian product.
Even bigger price cuts are available during the Sylvanian Families sales period, so make sure to shop at the right time. Check out the HotUKDeals listings around the Black Friday time and plan your gifts a month before Christmas. Otherwise, check out the January Sales season for plenty of discounted products.
Sylvanian Families is a magical toy assortment of animal figures, accessories, clothes and buildings, which nurtures the imagination of children, allowing them to create their own unique communities. Whether you are looking to purchase a gift for your kid or to add to your own Sylvanian collection, you'll find the best Sylvanian discounts on HotUKDeals.
