Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Let's take a tour of a 1950s Rich Toys rancher


This ranch style dollhouse was made by Rich Toy Co circa 1950.
It has four rooms....kitchen, open plan living/dining room,
and a bedroom which includes an en suite bathroom.




An additional play area for the young owner is the large front porch
that is open on two sides.




This is the right side of the house...let's go inside.




The front door opens directly into what is currently being used as a dining room.




This large L-shaped area is being utilized as three separate venues....
dining room, living room and television area.




The space to the right of the dining room is set up as an area to watch television.


 


Behind the television area is the living room.
It is located in the front of the house and used mainly for entertaining.




The modular set in the living area was made by Strombecker in the late 1930s. 
  With the exception of the kitchen hutch, all of the furniture
 in this rancher was made by Strombecker,




This house comes with a wood-burning fireplace
and enough area in front of it to sit and enjoy its' warmth.




Are those hand-rolled?
 
 
 
 


The small galley style kitchen is found to the left of the dining area.
It has enough space to hold the three main appliances
and a hutch for dishes and food items.



 
But it is still large enough to prepare a meal and wide enough for floor seating.




This is the left side of the house. The bedroom opens directly off of the living room.
One has to assume the roof would need to be lifted off to play in this area.
The roof is quite heavy, so that would mean a parent would need to be involved.





The bedroom is a nice size and includes an en suite bathroom.




Even with twin beds the room is not crowded.




The bathroom is quite large and even has room for a clothes hamper.




Fake florescent lighting is included to light the sink area.



 
You've seen the front and sides of the house, now here is the back.
 
 


and here is the house as seen from above with the roof taken off.
 
I hope you have enjoyed this tour of this mid-century dollhouse.


28 comments:

  1. The man of the house has graciously accompanied you on the tour. He was even kind enough to show us the amount of space between the beds by lying down in that space. He is such a good host he even stood in the shower with his clothes on in order to demonstrate the wonderful water pressure. He also is a good husband. Why else would he sit at his
    wife's feet while she cooks? Such a romantic. He stretched out before the fireplace to make sure no sparks landed on his wife. Thank you for the tour of this magnificent house, and for allowing us a glimpse into this happy, romantic married couple!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Smiles to you Neen! You are too sweet....I should add your words to enhance the pictures!!

      Delete
  2. Lovely house, but you may have to keep an eye on the residents as it appears they may have a slight drinking problem! ;-) hehe
    Teresa
    sugar, spice and whatever's nice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are already back on the shelf...but I took away their booze. :-)

      Delete
  3. Hello Florine,
    It is a great house. I love the illustrated exterior and the furniture is great!
    Big hug,
    Giac

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the graphics on this Rich is one of their best. My friends who are writing a book on Rich Toys dollhouses have found several versions of the ranch style house...can't wait to see the others. Cheers!

      Delete
  4. Love the house and the tour...and it looks like Dad is having A LOT of fun!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love the house, you have decorated it very well indeed. Loved the detailed tour.
    And as for the owners..............They flat know how how to PARTY! :)
    Great Post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't take lessons on partying....wouldn't want to contribute to your delinquency!

      Delete
  6. Such fun photos! Love it! :-D xo Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Florine. What a great house! I haven't seen this model before. The furniture and accessories are perfect. The couple seem to be enjoying it. Although I have a feeling that they would enjoy anywhere as long as they have their bottles. I laughed out loud at your wonderful pictures. Such fun. Thanks for the tour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't wait to see the other models that Patty and crew found for their book...in fact I can't wait to see all the models of Rich houses they have found...over 100 and counting! Thanks for visiting! Cheers!

      Delete
  8. Oh Florine, this is hilarious! Also, the house is beautifully furnished and decorated. I'm so glad to see the wonderful bathroom set that was on ebay recently! There was some amazement on a facebook group about the price it was reaching, but I said I reckoned it was American, ca 1930s-50s, and in excellent condition, and that collectors of that period would be competing for it because it was probably pretty rare. I didn't know what make it was, but I gather it's Strombecker? Do you know when it was available?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Rebecca! I tried to make it as 50s as I could remember houses being back then.
      The bathroom set was advertised in Strombecker's catalog of 1950 [Zillner's Furnished Dollhouses, pg 149]. My set came with a Keystone dollhouse I bought several years ago, and never having seen it, I was delighted it was included as a special gift.
      I also watched the sale of the set on ebay....it doesn't always sell for that much...just when buyers do battle!

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Florine! Glad you didn't have to battle it out, getting it with a dolls house is much better! It's such a lovely set.

      Delete
  9. Florine, What a great house- and what a charming couple! I have been collecting, and admiring Rich Toy houses for a long time. But I have never seen this one. Thank you for
    sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Charming is a nice description of this couple! I have friends compiling information for a book on Rich Toy houses; there are still several that they have advertisements for but don't have original pictures to use. I will try to do a post on the ones the are still looking for, but if you have one that you think is rare or unusual, please contact joannbelanger@frontier.com . Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello from Spain: fabulous house. Nice furniture. Lovely pics. Very fun .. keep in touch

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, what a wonderful house! I've never seen one like this- the ranch style- how charming! And what a couple of characters that live there- I kept expecting a photo of one of them crouched over the toilet!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love the way you bring the houses to life!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wonderful collection! The most fabulous dollhouse I ever saw belonged to the daughter of the famous cinematographer, Stan Waterman. We lived across the street from them one year and I used to go over to play with his little girl; I guess I was around 12. Anyway, she had a townhouse that was taller than I was and just crammed with beautiful furniture, tons of accessories, the expensive Caco dolls--you-name-it. Alas, she was bored with it and never wanted to play with it...so I never got the chance either. Anyway, if you like dollhouse humor, please give my blog a try: dannydollhouse.blogspot.com --Thanks --Meg

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOL I am laughing so hard...I love this!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi. I'm hoping for some help in identifying a 1960s dollhouse, purchased at Marshall Field's in Chicago. It is 25 H X18 D x 30 W, may be made of Masonite. It's white with red shutters, a working front door with "trees" painted on either side. There are tulips painted on the sides of the house, a removable roof, two floors. No markings. I have pictures. I have had no luck finding any information and would really appreciate any help or guidance. My email is ealake_2@hotmail.com. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frankie, send me a picture of your house and if I can't identify it I will post it here and maybe someone will recognize it! cheers!

      Delete