Sampling · one per structure
Sampling a Wooden Dollhouse
A sample is the cheapest part of a dollhouse order and the one that decides the rest of it. Photographs do not show scale, paint sheen or how a hinge feels, and the two things buyers most often get wrong from a photograph are the doll fit and the carton size. This page explains how sampling runs here: how many samples to order, what they cost in time, what to check when they arrive, and how the sample relates to the production order that follows. It is written for a first-time buyer and for a buyer changing a structure they already stock.
Order one sample per structure rather than one for the whole shortlist, allow 7-15 days for a stocked model and longer for a new colour or a printed carton, and check the joinery, the floor height against your intended doll, the finish sheen and the carton before sign-off. Sample terms are agreed with the quotation.
At a glance
| How many | one per structure: tabletop, standard two-storey, large three-storey |
|---|---|
| Lead time | 7-15 days for a stocked model; 20-30 days for a new colour, printed carton or changed structure |
| What arrives | the model, the fittings bag, the instruction sheet and, where relevant, the carton |
| What to check | joinery, floor height against the doll, finish and sheen, edge sanding, carton and packed weight |
| Sample terms | agreed with the quotation; discussed against the production order rather than published |
| After sign-off | the sample becomes the reference for the run, alongside the finish panel and the carton artwork proof |
How it runs
- Choose one structure per format you intend to stock rather than a sample of every model - the structure, not the colourway, is what a sample proves.
- Send the intended doll height and the destination market with the sample request, so the floor height can be checked against the doll rather than in the abstract.
- On arrival, build the sample rather than looking at it in the box: the assembly experience is what the customer will have.
- Check the floor height, the door opening, the edge sanding, the hinge feel and the finish sheen, and note what you want changed.
- Sign off in writing with photographs; the signed sample, the finish panel and the carton proof become the specification for the run.
What a sample proves, and what it does not
- It proves the structure: the joinery, the assembly sequence, the floor height, the door fit and the way the roof or front opens.
- It proves the finish in the hand: sheen, colour, edge sanding and whether the paint film sits flat or shows the grain through it.
- It does not prove the production consistency of a paint batch across a thousand units, which is why a finish panel is kept alongside the sample.
- It does not prove the carton unless you ask for the packed carton with the sample; a sample sent in a plain box tells you nothing about the carton grade.
How many samples to order
- One per structure. A tabletop cottage, a standard two-storey house and a large three-storey house are three different builds and three different samples.
- Not one per colourway. The colour is a paint decision and can be judged from the finish panel and a photograph; the structure cannot.
- One furnished model if you intend to stock the furnished line, because the piece count and the packing of the loose furniture is a separate question from the house.
- One doll family if the add-on line is part of the plan, because the figure height and the joint quality are the two things a photograph cannot settle.
What to check when the sample arrives
- Build it. Time the build and note every step that needed a second person or was not clear from the sheet.
- Stand your intended doll in each room and check it against the floor height and the door opening; the figure matters more than the metre.
- Open and close every door and working part ten times, and check whether the hinge needs adjustment after the tenth.
- Check the edges and the inside of the carton: sanding, paint coverage on the cut edges, corner protection and whether the fittings bag is divided by step.
How the sample becomes the order
- The signed sample, the finish panel and the carton artwork proof are the three references the workshop builds to. Everything else is a conversation.
- A change requested after sign-off is a new decision with a new date; a change requested at sample stage is free and expected.
- Ask for the production photographs to be taken against the signed sample, so the comparison is possible when the run is packed.
- Keep the sample. It is the reference for the reorder, the spare-parts match and any claim about a shade difference two seasons later.
FAQ
How long does a dollhouse sample take?
7-15 days for a model in a stocked finish, because the workshop is building a model it already makes. A new colour adds a paint batch, a printed carton adds a printing proof and a changed structure adds a drawing and a first build, which together push it to 20-30 days. Add the courier time to your market. The sample is the step to start early: a sample ordered in April leaves room for a production slot in June, and a sample ordered in July has already missed the comfortable window for a Q4 shipment.
What does a sample cost?
Sample terms are agreed with the quotation and discussed against the production order, so the answer depends on the model and on whether the sample is a stocked model or a development. The practical point for a buyer is that a sample is a cost of deciding rather than a cost of the order, and it is small against the cost of a wrong container. We quote the sample and the freight separately so the buyer can see what is being paid for what, and the sample arrangement is confirmed before the sample is made.
Can the sample be the display unit?
Sometimes, and it is worth asking on the models you intend to display. A sample that matches the production run can go to a shop floor as the display house, which saves buying a separate display unit. The limit is that a sample is usually a single unit and a shop may want a built house plus a built room set, so two samples may be needed. Ask for the sample and the display unit in the same request and we will quote them together against the production order.
Send an enquiry
Order the sample that decides the order
Send the structures, the doll height and the market; we confirm the sample route, the timing and the terms with the quotation.