| When Lilliput Lane was launched in the early | | | | almost everything you wish to know. The club is |
| eighties, the collectable market was in its infancy. | | | | now twenty two years old, and during its life has |
| For many years, there had been china figurines | | | | had the pleasure of welcoming many thousands |
| from Royal Doulton, Coalport and Lladro, but | | | | of new members from all over the world. |
| these were, until then, purchased as a kind of | | | | Lilliput Lane Collectors Club members receive |
| occasional ornament. People would have the odd | | | | personal invitations to events held around the |
| china figurine on display on their mantelpiece or in | | | | country, often in beautiful settings, such as |
| a cabinet, but that was all. But then, along came | | | | country estates. There is always a painter and a |
| the eighties and everything changed. And it really | | | | sculptor on hand. So these events provide a great |
| did begin with Lilliput Lane Cottages. Here was a | | | | opportunity for collectors to find out more about |
| collectable that seemed to feed on people's | | | | the exacting process of designing and |
| insatiable desire to gather and acquire. It wasn't | | | | manufacturing Lilliput Lane cottages. It also gives |
| enough to own two or three ornaments to be | | | | members the opportunity to meet and discuss |
| lovingly placed in various corners of the home. A | | | | their collections with members of the design and |
| true collector had to own the whole lot, literally. | | | | sales team. |
| Whether or not this had originally occurred to the | | | | Not to be missed is a visit to Skirsgill in the Lake |
| founders of the company, I know not, but of | | | | District, the home of Lilliput Lane Cottages. On |
| course, cottages were the perfect vehicle for | | | | arrival the collector will receive a warm welcome |
| satisfying the collectible lust, for what better way | | | | in the specially constructed Honeysuckle Cottage; |
| to build up your collection than by creating a | | | | a phenomenal building which is a miniature cottage |
| village. | | | | 'in reverse'. Instead of being the model of a life |
| Recognising early on the almost manic nature of | | | | sized cottage, it's an authentic full sized version of |
| the collectable mentality, Lilliput Lane calculated | | | | a miniature cottage. It took almost a year to |
| that the best way to both feed the collecting lust | | | | build, being finally completed in the summer of |
| and, at the same time, control it was to set up a | | | | May 1995, using genuine building materials. It is |
| collectors club. This they did in the mid eighties | | | | surrounded by beautiful, manicured gardens and |
| and since then, have never looked back. | | | | inside the entire current collection of Lilliput Lane |
| The Lilliput Lane Collectors Club is run by a team | | | | Cottages is on view, as well as a display of |
| of specially trained staff, available during working | | | | retired cottages. Having admired this cottage |
| hours to answer all queries, such as where | | | | 'museum', a tour can be taken of the studios to |
| cottages can be bought, how they are made, | | | | see how the world's favourite cottages are made. |
| where the ideas for new cottages originate, | | | | |