Things we should all have: Ideal's Petite Princess Dollhouse Furniture

The kitchen set is tres rare - that's because Petite Princesses do not cook - they get carry out.

The Throne Room sets are tres rare, too.  But I love the way the throne comes with its own toilet rug.

Now I would pretend that this was a present from one of my subjects.

A little Norma Desmond never hurts.

But this I adore!  Petite Princess even had its own booze cart!

Can't you hear Donna and Felix having orgasms of desire for this?  That was a silly question, wasn't it!

I know you want to play with this stuff.

Back in the 1960s, this Petite Princess was a line of dollhouse furniture for Ideal Toy Company.  I think the idea was brilliant.  The furniture was all Louis the XVI, and it had all the trappings of what Ideal thought Petite Princesses craved.  White "wood", lots of gilding, red crushed velveteen upholstery, pink, light green and light blue satin for the chaise lounge and bed, and candelabras galore.  The bathroom set had swanlike faucets!  Then there was the Liberace inspired piano, with its mirrored panel above the keyboard.  And then there was the booze cart, complete with a bottle of booze and two martini glasses - because a Petite Princess should never drink alone.  How Valley of the Dolls is that?  The only thing missing from this would have been little bottles of pills for the bathroom set.


Assembled together, in the Petite Princess French Second Empire Mansion, the whole thing looked like a whorehouse, or the home of a 1960s Jewish American Princess.  And I have been in enough of those to know what they looked like.  In Shaker, we used the derisive term "Early Van Aken" to describe these types of homes.  Heavy on the illusion of luxury, but cheesy.  And very 1960s Jewish.

PP furniture is to die for.  And its still affordable as a collectible, but prices are rising.  Trust me when I tell you to get it while you can.