Although wood doll houses are popular, plastic versions can also have many advantages. Many children enjoy the bright colors and modern designs featured in quite a number of today's plastic doll house sets. Plastic doll houses often have more accessory pieces that are included with it as well. They are also usually less expensive and more readily available than wood varieties.
It's usually much easier to find plastic doll house models to choose from than wooden ones. A toy store may have one or two wooden doll houses, but at least three or four plastic ones. Many of the latest licensed dolls have plastic rather than wood houses marketed as additional collectible accessories for them. The price difference of plastic doll houses over wood is also a strong advantage. While it's true that wood versions are often sturdier and longer lasting, thicker plastic houses may be just as durable and sturdy as a wooden doll house.
Many non-wood toy houses for dolls often include an array of brightly colored plastic accessories that children love such as mixing bowls, dishes, lamps and modern-styled furniture. Wooden doll houses, on the other hand, are usually more traditional in design, as they feature wood furniture in classic styles. This can be a big plus for some adults, but children tend to prefer colorful and innovative plastic doll house furnishings.
Some of the details in such small houses aren't as easy to capture in wood as they are in plastic. For example, the very thin strips across the window panes in a Georgian styled doll house are usually more readily available in a plastic design rather than a wood one, unless such detailing is reflected in a high price tag on a wooden model. Shutters such as those on a Cape Cod style are another doll house detail typically easier to find in plastic varieties.
A major advantage of a plastic doll house meant to be an inexpensive toy is that parents can let kids enjoy playing with it much more than a wooden heirloom dollhouse that is supposed to be kept intact for future generations. Also, many wooden houses are heavy, while plastic models tend to be much lighter. Children can then carry them much easier from room-to-room. Some plastic doll houses also fold for travel, while wood ones rarely do.