THE STORY BOOK HOUSES

[Pete R.Oehmen]

Happy New Year fellow enthusiasts. I'm putting together another booklet that features the large STORY BOOK HOUSES. I'm not sure who gave the name to these fairy tale structures but I think the name really describes these giant treasures. These rare and very fancy cottages that have many unique features. Door frames made of twigs, lacy windows curtains and chimney trim make these a real treasure. Colorful splashes of paint, cotton tops, swinging doors and window awning add further depth. The bases are graced with the most complex fences that I've ever seen on any putz house.

Massive wood fence posts and many loofah trees laden with more red berries also enhance their appearance. A feature of these putz houses is that the house can be removed from the base. For the longest time I was convinced that the little framed box under the house was a candy box. When I really sat down and thought about it these shallow frames are there to keep the buildings in place.

The real reason that the house comes off the base is to replace the light bulb. I can't say for sure but I think the light bulb fixtures were added by the owner and not from the manufacturer. Either way the creators made a slot for the electric cord to go under the house. Everyone of these structures has three hole in the upper eave that serves as an air cooling vent for the large wattage light bulbs.

I have taken the initiative to assign each house the name of a classic fairy tale. I sort of matched the houses shape and design to illustrations from artist that have created magical interpretations of the classics. So far I have "Hansel and Gretel", "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", "Santa's Workshop", Beauty and the Beast", and Geppetto's Workshop". How close did I come? What title did I assign to which house? We'll see how good I did. We can always change the names... LOL

[Pete R.Oehmen]

Generally the Japanese artisans made these in sets of six or eight. So far I have these five and I am looking for additional structures. Please share what you might know about these special houses...

[Howard]

Pete…

You’ve absolutely chosen the perfect name for the category and assigning appropriate names for each house!…thank you for sharing the pictures and details…

Howard…

[paulrace]

Great addition to your content! Thanks for sharing!