Play Family House

#952

c1969-1988

After the success of the first carry-and-play Little People playset, the #915 Play Family Farm, Fisher-Price, followed the next year with the #952 Play Family House. Together, the two are the longest-running features in the Fisher-Price agenda and captivate new audiences today in cheaper, chunkier forms. Like the Farm, the house has a lot to offer for completists as color schemes for the furniture were changed roughly every two years, leaving a neverending supply of variations.

With no competition, the hot commodity from this set is the cardboard moving van, an ill-conceived and short-lived accessory that didn't prove to be as durable as the farm's silo. It was deleted from the Play Family House after only one year, making vans all but nearly impossible to find in any condition today. Surviving specimens in decent shape have sold for over $500.00, and collectors will readily scratch each other's eyes out to get their hands on one.

After the 70's had passed and nobody in their right mind would dare to paint their house yellow and blue anymore, production on the original #952 ceased. In 1980, the revised Play Family House was unveiled with a more modern brown-and-white color scheme. The exterior lithos were redone, but--with minor alterations--the interior lithos remained basically the same. The accessories all followed over much the same as they left off, save the staircase, which was omitted.