I've been collecting putzes for almost 10 years. I followed Ted Althof's page religiously and started collecting Haciendas and branched out from there. We have Open House on the 25th and I put a village under the table top tree every year. People love it. I've been inspired by the villages I've seen on this blog and after a couple of years of "phoning it in" I'm really motivated. I bought an HO scale trolley and track on eBay and I'd like to try to add some street lights. (I'd also like to hear opinions on lighting systems.) I've been reading the site and I am amazed at the creativity and skill of the posters; the set-ups, the restorations and resources , I feel like a total newbie

Recently I acquired an almost complete collection of handcrafted (handmade?) putzes from the early '80s. They were sold at a Christmas Shop in PA and the woman who originally collected them special ordered some. They have handmade cellophane windows instead of the usual printed ones. They have two light holes, one in the back and one in the bottom and they're painted in a rough stucco. I don't think these were one offs, I'm hoping to find other pieces or someone who knows where they came from. A long shot, I know.

I've tried to pass the hobby along. I sent small plastic "Alpine Villages" to my great-Nieces and Nephews (all under 5) so they got started on Putzing. They're fascinated by the miniature world and their parents like the idea of a tradition that's handed down from generation to generation. When they get older I'll upgrade to the real deal.

Finally, Is anyone making putzes for sale this year?

Welcome aboard, Geoff! If you have any pictures you'd like to post, please reduce them to 800 width first - this antiquated software doesn't resize photos like Facebook does. I'd fix that, but every time I try to implement an upgrade, the whole thing goes south and I have to restore everything by hand.

Photos from your last open house would probably inspire more people to get involved, hint, hint.

- Paul

Hello and Welcome Geoff! Glad you are on the forum and look forward to your posts! The knowledge and sharing here is amazing. Would love to see pictures of your Putz scene when Christmas rolls around!


John

Welcome, Geoff...

Glad you are on board...you'll find we're a friendly group...always ready to help...I want to see pictures as well...

My very best regards...

Howard...

Welcome Geoff, so glad you joined!! Please share your projects we all love to see each others projects

Hello, Geoff.

We're glad to see you here. And yes, photos, please. I would especially like to see the collection from the 80s. That sounds interesting. I bet someone here would recognize where they came from. And that is a great idea to get your great-nieces and nephews started early. You are right - the little kids LOVE the miniature houses. The person I call my biggest fan is now 6 and has been collecting (by way of his mother) since he was three. He treats the houses with such care it is amazing.

We look forward to seeing your houses.

Lucy

Thank you for the warm welcome. I am having trouble resizing pictures. Any helpful hints?

Hi Geoff, welcome to the forum! I always use this free online program to resize my pictures for posting here. Here's the link: http://www.picresize.com. I usually shrink mine to 50%. Seems to do the job just fine!

Geoff,
I use an ancient program called PaintShop Pro 7. Actually I use it for almost all my photo editing. It has all the features I usually need, and it loads and runs VERY fast. The company that made it sold out to another company, so technically it's still under copyright, but there are sites online that let you download it for free. Let me know if you'd like to try it, and I'll try to find a site where you can download it safely.

Paul

Welcome! The forum is a wonderfully friendly, inspiring place. I’m on the novice scale of building and have learned so much from the master builders here. Would love to see your collection and creations.