Brian, nice work on the windows. Do you really think the paper was white starting out?

Tom, thanks for pointing out the "True" ColMors in that photo Ted took - the log cabin and the green shingles. Come to think of it, I've seen the ones with printed icicles elsewhere. And you're right, there's nothing to indicate ColMor, and even less to indicate Dolly.

Hi Brian,

Thanks so much for sending the pics, all the good info and resources!! I am really excited you have these windows, without them I could not have reproduced these house, I was trying to think of a way and the only thing I could come up with was making stencils. I know you are really busy but when you have a moment could you possible give me some rough measurements nothing elaborate. Thanks so much!!

Brian, what a fantastic thing you've done. Just last night I was working on a Dolly house when I realized all the windows were one sheet, how clever of them. I'm hoping I can down load this. Meanwhile I 've been helping this lady on ebay to collect Dolly Toy houses. She purchased a box set + of Colmor 16 houses all together, some doubles and triples but in fabulous condition. I agree about those icicle houses from before, they have a lot of similarities but not quite the same. That strange glue built up on the bases? I'll post of pic of the Colmor set in box.

Good Day!! Thank you so much, happy to help! Hopefully I'll have sometime this week to finish up the are for at least this house.

Paul, I don't know, looks like it could have been done on a grey paper maybe too. Mine have definitely yellowed with age. If I have time I can maybe make a few variations.

The body of the house is petty small. Only 3 inches wide x 1 1/4 deep. The outer sides of the house are 1 1/2" tall before the peak starts. The two roof peaks come to exactly 3 inches too. The longest outersides of the roof going up to the peaks on each side is 2 inches. The roof flap is 1 3/4" wide.

The square window holes are 1/2 wide x 3/4 tall. The door is 15/16" tall and 1/2" wide. The space between the windows and door is 3/8" wide. The windows are 1/2 off the base and the door is 3/8" up off the base.

The base is 3 x 5" and a 1/2" tall.

The trees are luffa shrubs.

Heres is a pic of my white one, next to it is the magenta foil one, that I found a foil cardstock match for at Michaels.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I think I got most of the dimensions there.
-Brian

Hi Brian,

Thanks so much for the dimensions they’re great, and without the windows this project could never come to life!! I very much appreciate you time and effort putting this all together!!

Mystery solved. Colmor made 2 types of houses. The Christmas Tree Village in the blue box with the icicle houses and trees, which Laura bought, but the 16 houses included are from another set. "A Happitime product" sold by Sears, Roebuck Co. also by Colmor as seen on Ted's WW2 page at the bottom. She has her box stored away so is not able to look on the backs of the houses to see if they do have the name banner. Nice to finally get this figured out, thanks for your help.

Brian I believe Pete is working on the Dolly toy windows and is getting set up for the earlier gold or silver over pink tissue - which I believe was originally a red tissue. You might check with him as I sent him the windows from a couple of giants. I believe that there are probably only about 8 different designs BUT they were arranged for each style of house so that it only took one sheet to complete it - good production line stuff but hardly necessary for restoration. So you could have with all variations have upwards of twenty or so different sheets most of which would be duplicating the different designs. The doors were only two different basic designs with each having two different colors. There could have been a LOT of different sheets per house combinations. I hope this is all perfectly muddy!

I have a question about the Dolly bases. I can see from the pictures the side pickets are cut out from the top of the base, but how about the front pickets and gate? It almost looks like it is cut out from the front rather then the top and than folded up??

I just may give this a try, not sure, any tips would be great! Thanks!

Lynn, Dolly's core businesses all involved stamped cardboard - think of those really thick cardboard nursery decoration cutouts they used to make. So if they could simplify their manufacturing by using a stamp, they did. I don't have one of these particular houses in front of me, but I've seen some where the arched gate was punched out of the front yard just like the pickets are punched out of the side yard. When you're looking at the front of the house, you really can't tell. And, unlike the prewar Japanese manufacturers, Dolly was paying its workers, so any way they could reduce a step helped them keep the low price point they needed.