We are very excited to announce that Sylvanian Families will be available on Toy Street in the not so distant future!

Sylvanian Families have been around for decades and, after a slump in the late 1990s, they are making a mighty comeback with a modern twist. Originally, the lives of the animal figures were based on rural 1950’s Britain but there is now a whole new modernisation of the lovable creatures.

Sylvanian Families Town is now available and includes sweet shops, department stores and even trams! Let’s take a closer look at this amazing toy brand.

Sylvanian Families – The History

Sylvanian Families was founded in 1985 by Japanese gaming company Epoch, with the idea of a combination of doll houses and woodland animal figures which included rabbits, deer and mice. The franchise became an instant hit, winning the UK Toy of the Year award for three years running.

The setting was based on a typical nuclear family of Mum, Dad, son and daughter who lived in rural Britain, in large multi-story houses and enjoyed middle-class pass times such as horse riding, canoeing and garden parties. The Mothers looked pretty in their floral pinafores, whilst the fathers were dressed to carry out their rural work.

In 1987, an animated TV series was created based on the toy range. The show ran for 13 episodes and was very popular in the UK and Spain, before being broadcast over in America by Nickelodeon. It was the success of the show that led to expansions into Western Europe, with Tomy acquiring exclusive rights for the UK.

The toys were sold worldwide, but by the late 1990s they were discontinued in the UK because of poor sales. But after several years of decline, in 2013 they were back and are still currently being distributed in the UK.

Family Background

The entire Sylvanian Families collection is set in the fictional village of Sylvania, which was based on 1950s Britain. The majority of the families were middle-class and had jobs like being a doctor, teacher, artist, news reporter, carpenter, and bus driver.

The series covered a whole host of different woodland creatures, such as rabbits, squirrels, beavers and bears. Most families consist of a father, mother, sister and brother, and continue to add family members from there on such as grandparents, babies, and older siblings.

NEW – Sylvanian Families Town

Sylvanian Families are being brought into the 21^st century and we couldn’t be happier. You can now buy terrace houses, have a macaroon in the Chocolate Lounge and even enjoy a ride along on a tram! A Town Girl Series is also available which includes Silk Cat, Toy Poodle and Chocolate Rabbit who all come dressed very glamorous with the option of additional outfits that can be bought separately.

There are also alternative family sets from the typical nuclear family, for example the Brightfield Goat Family have two daughters and the Darwin Monkey Family only have one child. Although this doesn’t seem like much it’s a big step for the Sylvanian Family world.

Oldies but goodies

If you have any Sylvanian Families in your loft that you’ve been meaning to throw out but never got around to – think again, you could be in luck. There are a range of vintage Sylvanian Family sets and figures that are selling for a small fortune.

A 1980’s Japanese Timbertop Bear sold for £450 last year, whilst The Japanese Doll of the Year 2003 has had bids of over £500. These are obviously rare, but if you were lucky enough to have the Country Manor House for example, complete with all the furniture and figures, you could earn yourself a good £200.

Coming Soon

Sylvanian Families have announced a new range of families which are coming later this year. Included in this new range is the Marshmellow Mouse Family, which consists of Dad (Bernard), Mum (Bianca), Sister (Katherine) and Brother (Christopher) as well as Baby Brother (Albert) and Marshmellow Mouse Triplets (Mary, Edward and Elizabeth) – Bernard and Bianca sure do have their hands full!

As well as this new family there is also a Grocery Market that will go on sale this year, which includes a checkout counter with conveyor, baskets and food shelves complete with all your everyday essentials. Exciting times ahead!

Keep your eyes peeled for your favourite Sylvanian Families on Toy Street soon!