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Today I'm breaking ALL the Critter Collector rules and featuring a Sylvanian Families / Calico Critters COMPETITOR brand... Honey Bee Acres! Just kidding, there is NO SHAME in mixing and matching critter brands LOL!
I recently saw this new line of Critter-sized miniatures at Wal-mart - Honey Bee Acres - and just had to check them out! I picked up the Honey Bee Acres Sweet Home Kitchen and "Baby Lucky," a small unicorn baby & wagon set. The kitchen was $9.97 and the baby was $4.97 in-store.
What drew me to the kitchen is the gorgeous, modern farmhouse chic design of the sink, and the bright (but not obnoxious) patterns of the curtains and rug. I also liked some of the accessories I could see in the packaging (like the mixing bowl spoon and ice cube tray), and I thought the fridge and oven were super-cute with good realism and attention to detail. But what about the quality? And would they be compatible with Calico Critter furniture? I just had to find out!
My initial thoughts while opening the kitchen and taking the pieces out was, "Hmm... this is definitely NOT the same as Calico Critters!" The plastic (most of if) is noticeably lighter, flimsier, and just a bit cheaper-feeling than the high-quality, dense plastic composites used in most Calico Critter furniture. While I do like the aesthetic - and do appreciate the fine detailing and interactivity - I am just too spoiled by the bar Sylvanian Families has set.
As far as being compatible side-by-side with Calico Critter furniture they are a bit awkward. The sink and oven sit several millimeters shorter than standard Critter countertops, and the fridge is much shorter comparatively. Also, while elements of the Honey Bee kitchen are much more detailed than most plastic dollhouse furniture, the Calico Critters fridge I used in this comparison is far MORE detailed.
The baby unicorn is a little bizarre in my opinion, and definitely a few rungs down on the quality ladder compared to Calico Critter babies. It's still a cute doll, and does have a lot of fun detailing (I especially like that it has a tail!), it's just not anything like Sylvanian Families.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Great line at a very affordable price-point. I would definitely consider these as gifts for children who like critters or dollhouses, and I really do appreciate the time and attention that went into producing these. However, I won't be incorporating them into our collection, and here's why: the scale is a little off, the color scheme is a bit too different (out of place) for Calico Critters, and there are some minor quality gripes I have (like the fridge door not staying closed).
I will incorporate some of these accessories since I already bought the sets, and will probably put the kitchen furniture in my daughter's Loving Family dollhouse. I did order the Honey Bee Acres Around Town Van, which is styled like a retro VW bus, but that'll likely put a cap on our Honey Bee Acres adventure!
What do YOU think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for watching, see you next time!
MUSIC CREDIT: Happy Mistake by RKVC, KZitem Audio
Негізгі бет 🐝 The BUZZ on HONEY BEE ACRES! Sylvanian Families Calico Critters COMPETITOR Kitchen & Baby Review!
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