Are Sylvanian Families worth the price?

[AFewScrewsLucy]

DD will be 4 soon, and thinking of some for her birthday. But they're quite expensive. Are they worth the price?

DD’s got Sylvanian Families at around 4 but they weren’t played with much, now & again. They are a little older and at 6 & nearly 8 really into them. The houses & treehouse are loved, the caravan was until it broke, they often have a Sylvanian village with the neighbouring village being their playmobil characters & farm. I loved Sylvanian as a kid and have fond memories of getting the pony & trap set for my 8th birthday.

@LaundryWoes super thanks for the feedback! I've got my eyes on a couple of eBay items but will mostly focus on the bigger items and some families and leave the smaller fiddly stuff for later years.

Another one saying yes. And yes to second hand.

For a 3 year old have you considered Playmobil instead? Either the old stuff from when we were kids (assuming you're late 20s-late 30s) or the newer stuff. The plastic feels more robust than Sylvanian Families for younger children. Both my husband and I had lots of Playmobil which our parents have saved and our 4.5 year old started playing with it when he was 3. There's some stuff such as furniture which are too small/easily breakable (particularly on things like the camper van and the zoo) so we didn't give him everything at the age of 3, but will gradually add to the sets over time whereas he hasn't yet had any Sylvanian Families from my sister in law.

I had "generic" Sylvanian Families as a child. My mum got them from Woolies/Wilko or similar (although I'm sure a shop that hasn't gone from the high street also has them today) and whilst I played with them A LOT as a child (until I was quite old) I never let go of the fact that I didn't have real ones. I also had fake Barbie and Sindy dolls. I still comment on this "deprived childhood" whenever my mum talks about buying the branded stuff for her now grandson as it feels like double standards 😂.

They’ve had real longevity in my house. I got when my eldest was 7 and she’s now 16, my middle one loved them until about aged 12 and my 10 year old still plays with them. We’ve built up a real collection!

The red roof cost cottage is a good starter, only £25 and you get a house, basic furniture, and a rabbit. The little blind bags are the most cost effective way of buying the actual figures, £4ish for a baby and some accessories, when normally you’d be paying £7-10 for that. Second hand is good although sometimes you find the fuzz is rubbing off in places.

@cardboard33 I'll take another look at Playmobil, I haven't ruled it out completely. I had some when I was younger but for me it was always complimentary to our Lego Adventures. I'll definitely check it out though!

Yes, the quality and detail of the miniature pieces are well beyond other toys. I realise this because when tidying up, I can never bring myself to throw away any pieces from SF. These are toys you can keep for another generation or just as keepsakes.

In contrast, I have no qualms binning or donating the cheap tatty plastic crap that comes with Barbie, Polly Pocket, LOL and all those blind boxed toys. The quality is garbage and only really good for an immediate thrill and keeping kids entertained for the duration after they unpack it.

@PlantDoctor so do I!!! It’s like nails down a chalkboard or biting into wool… the thought of their “fur” just gives me goosebumps. I honestly think they’re adorable to look at and love all the sets and accessories but their texture just kills it for me 😬 I’m a Playmobil fan personally!

Hmm I’ve been torn between getting DD4 a starter kit of these or playmobile. Might try one of each 🤣 I think that red cottage would be a good starter kit, and I like the playmobile school, the only thing putting me off both is the little fiddly bits because of the dog!

Just remove the tiny pieces until he's a bit older. They make great stocking gifts packaged in a little organza bag. I did this, then every Xmas/birthday took a look through them and gave any they were ready for. I handed over the last of the held-back tiniest pieces last Xmas at 6 & 8yo. They would have been fine earlier from a swallowing perspective, but I was waiting until I was a little more confident they wouldn't be left out on the carpet, invisible to my poor eyes, as hoover fodder!

This. My DD loved then - collected them over the years. We still have them - they don’t take up much room (packed away in a box in her ottoman bed) and occasionally get them out if any friends with small children call by. My DD always preferred the little characters than the actual houses and big stuff. Brilliant imaginative play. They do seem quite expensive, but at a cost per hour of play probably some of the best value stuff we bought.

She is a bit little in my experience.
I wouldn’t bother with anything except the figures at that age.
The car, caravan and boat were the most successful but we had. The house was a waste of money. They never played with it.

My almost 4yr old got some last yr for her 3rd bday and Xmas. She has played with them a lot. She's got a house, a few families, fairground set and triplet baby rabbit set.

She'll be getting some more this year too. They have decent sell on value too.

My eldest was 5 when her sister got them. She liked looking at them etc but hasn't played with them at all.

FB market place is good where we live. Saved a lot of money buying second hand.

I would honestly say second hand- absolutely!
Full price... no. Definitely not.
Look at Facebook marketplace or gumtree, you can get some absolute bargains there :)

We spent £90 one year and got 10 houses, 17 families, loads of clothes and accessories (split between my 3 girls).

We are rehoming some of the sets at our local hospice this year though as some are favoured and others not but they're in perfect condition.

My absolute favourite remains a raccoon on a little motorbike with side car. The little leather jacket and helmet gets me every time!

Anyway - a lot of play here, but we (not on purpose) bought a Hape dolls’ house which the Sylvanians now live in. DD (6) getting more and more into them.

They are a fantastic toy but as pp say definitely buy 2nd hand. We bought a huge bundle on FB marketplace for £25. It has a massive house and 12 little Sylvanians. I wrapped each separately in tissue paper and put them in a fancy gift box. DC has never clocked they weren't new!

@Prinnny I can’t recommend Playmobil enough - I still have mine from my own childhood in the 80’s and they were played with non-stop! They’ve never broken and we used to play with them indoors, outdoors, in the bath or pool… can you tell I love Playmobil? 😂

If you’re worried about small parts then have a look at the Playmobil 1 2 3 or the sets aged 3-5. There is also Playmobil Sand (for beach or sandpit play) and Playmobil Aqua (for bath or pool play) - although my children played with their normal sets at the beach and in the bath with no issues.

I really miss the days of buying Playmobil, Sylvanian Families and Lego!

Honestly do look at second hand for Sylvanian. I bought a mixture from of that and new for DC across Xmas and birthdays.
Vinted, Gumtree (I got loads from there!) and eBay.
Have a look at Facebook (not marketplace) to see if there are any SF groups you can join where you can buy?

I bought DD £90 worth of SF for £15 off Facebook Marketplace. Bargain.

Will set it all up for her on her birthday :D

And if she likes it then I'll suggest to people they could buy her little accessories etc for Christmas and whatnot :)

I have about £7-800 of Sylvanian families to sell and no idea what to price them at... multiple houses etc and loads of the families. Will people pay half decent prices for second hand?

Nearer Xmas you may get more. If you sell it as a job lot a canny buyer will take the trouble to split and sell as sets

I would have a look at Vinted and see what similar sets are selling for. But yes, they do go for a decent amount.

Just jumping on this thread. Does anyone know of this is a SF house or just got SF furniture. Thanks!