The second series is very pink. I actually quite liked the soft mint green of the first series, but the pink grew on me as I took the pictures. The sets came in colourful little ball capsules. These capsules are usually sold in capsule machines, where you insert a coin and get a random one in return.
Each capsule had an insert with printed doilies to cut out, and three of the sets them came with a sheet of stickers and a tiny, clear plastic bag. I scanned the doilies and the sticker sheet:
The first set is a cupcake stand with four cupcakes. The bunny cupcake is the best! The stand looks a bit empty on its own, so I'd fill it up with more items. I find that the cupcakes from the older Sylvanian Sweet Shop fit really nicely!
The second set is a bundt cake, bundt cake pan, a clear cutting board and a knife. The knife and the board are the same as the one from Series 1, save for the colour. The cake fits perfectly into the pan.
The third set contains a yellow tart, a cake server and a serving platter with a dome. This entire set is very similar to the one in Series 1. It's not an out right rehash, but they definitely share some of the same parts. One odd, small difference is the size of the tart. The base of this set's cheese tart is just a little bigger than the berry tart in Series one. It's just big enough that it gets stuck in the dome if you push the dome all the way down when covering the tart. It's not stuck tightly, and there's not paint to rub off on the sides of the tart so it's not really a big deal to me. One issue to look out for if you leave the tart stuck to the dome long terms is for plastic reactions. Some plastics can melt a little when it's left in contact for too long with a different kind of plastic, but I have no idea whether or not it would be an issue for this set.
The fourth set contains three macarons and an iced biscuit. The macarons are adorable! I love the paint finish on those. The box is a re-used part from Series 1. The lid doesn't shut properly if you put all three macarons in there. The 'ears' on the macarons are a little too big and get in the way!
The last set contains three pastries, a wire rack and a pair of tongs. Again, more re-purposed molds. I'm not sure what the pastries actually are, cream puffs or doughnuts, maybe?
It may seem like I'm complaining a lot about re-used molds, but I'm not actually bothered by it. I've quite enjoyed seeing how the old molds have been re-purposed and used to form new sets. These toys are quite inexpensive, and retail in Japan for about 200 yen each, roughly $2. They are well made for the price. That said, Series 2 seems to have a little less quality control overall than Series 1--namely the pieces not quite fitting together. Still, I really like this set overall, and it's a good way to fill up that Sylvanian cafe or shop with more goodies!
I think the colour scheme goes really well with the old Sweets Store. I'd been wanting to repaint the Sweets store blue and turn it into an ice cream shop to go on top of my Seaside Restaurant, but I don't know if I can now! It's just so adorable, and the Sylvanian Club poodle girl makes a great owner. I have a weakness for cute pink stuff.
I have been thinking about ordering these. Thank you for the post. I saw them on ebay for around $25. That is quite an increase from the $2.00 price you mentioned each.
ReplyDeleteYeah, eBay sellers tend to mark up the items in order to cover fees and make a profit. If the eBay ones had free shipping that would be another factor that increases the price. I got my set from a seller on Rakuten, and he charged 950 yen for the complete set and shipping using the small packet airmail option was roughly 500 yen. :)
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https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/auc-toysanta/item/g-3nnn000ilx-006/
Thanks so much Pei, I am ordering a set! Thanks for your advice and your great blog posts.
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