James it looks a lot like fisher price stuff but sure can’t pin point it, all so step 2 made some small buildings like that of which I have the main street cafe. I have found that the best buildings are playmobil as they are modular and you can build just about any thing with them, I’ve built a 3 story hotel, a sawmill, a cracker house 2020 MIK building the only down fall I have found is they are not UV proof which is OK with me as I paint everything. when out gathering treasures I mate everything up to a dollar bill, folded is a person, flat is 1 story house. So enjoy your build and make sure you share with the group, Bill
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As promised here is a picture of my shelf models. National Garden Railway Conventions I’ve gone to over the years. 1996 was my first and I rode to it on the train from Jacksonville to Orlando. Then I have the 2014 Convention in Tampa, the 2018 Convention in Atlanta and the 2020-2021 Convention in Nashville. My grandson went with me to Nashville 2021 and really enjoyed it. I am taking him and his family with me to Denver this year. From sea level to a mile high. I maybe short of breath for a couple of days. And Peter and Rooster there are three USA
, one Piko and one LGB boxes I will pack away carefully so the display cars will have future value. And I know my display track is too short. I will cut a piece tomorrow.
Bill, I have several of the Fisher Price Sesame sets that I found at garage sales and thrift stores when my grandchildren were younger. You can’t find them anymore except on E-Bay and other resale sites. I made half of one set into a small theater and the other half into a store. I built basically a box to attach them to using Christmas street paving as the walls. I repaint all of my finds to protect them from the sunlight and if I ever get an outdoor layout going it should help them. I have a picture somewhere of one of the FP sets outside on a layout we toured during the convention last year. It was ugly because of the peeling and delaminating from the UV it was exposed to. I think I have a Playmobil playset that I am also making into a three story hotel. I enjoyed your pictures of your creations.
Yea James, I think it’s more fun than buying one out of a box, I have turned 1 Pola building into 4 buildings and always on the look out for “junk” right at the moment the 3 story hotel is under renovation but will keep the same gaudy coral and teal colors as that was at one time people thought Florida was. Originally when first built it was placed in the center of the layout probably about 20’ or so from the closest viewing spot and at home meets people were always asking where i got the display people from because at that time there was only Preiser and LGB. I had used the playmobil people although very toy like they were colorful and from 20’+you really couldn’t see the details. The Hotel was part of the purpose of the RR and was the main tourist stop along the line sitting at the base of the world famous Coquina Falls. Fun times, keep up the good work,
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Looking at my three story motel project again I decided it is not a Playmobil. It is one I picked up at a garage sale for a dollar. One of several projects I am working on. Nice pictures of your layout. Someday I need to build me another one.
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Soon after I found this doll house I found another one in another thrift store. I had to pay six dollars for that one and it was missing a few parts.
I decided to cut off the top story and make it into a small house.
It is still a work in progress but this is it so far.
It also left me with several walls and windows I can use in other projects.
Work is continuing on the resturant. DOLL HOUSE CONVERSION|375x500
I finally identified my doll houses. They are sold in Japan as the Sylvanian Families Calico Critters country home. The E-Bay listings I checked show them going in used condition for $50 plus and $100.00-150.00 shipping if the seller is in the U.S. There are several other styles available in the same price ranges. All look to be about 1/24 scale. So i got a pretty good deal on my thrift store finds. Still working on the restaurant.
your three storey building with the blue tape looks to me like parts from the PLAY-BIG western town from the '70s.
Thanks. It might be. I found it at a thrift store years ago.
I was just looking up that Playmobil mansion I posted on at the start of this thread, and found it for around $500 here:
And its haunted version for only about $2k here!
However, its $97 little brother might suffice, if treated with enough primer and paint:
As a real PLAYMOBIL aficionado, no, it is not! Looks like a fun project, regardless of its ultimate source.
Eric
I need intervention. Help!
As you know I frequent the local thrift stores in search of things I can use.
Since I found this building I have come across three more,
all for less than six dollars.
I can’t resist.
My only hope is to stay out of the thrift stores for awhile.
I have some ideas about how I can use the last two I found,
The first will still be an Italian restaurant and the second is a teeny house using only the second floor.
Clearly there’s a prototype for everything… Burj Al Babas, a Massive Abandoned Town of Disney-esque Castles will someday have rail service…
The first thing that came to my mind was the Painted Ladies in San Francisco .
James, fun problem to have. You could probably sell one of them on Ebay as a “rare” G-Scale building and get over $100. At least that’s what certain houses can go for, even well over that amount. Heck, keep milking the thrift stores and retire on the Playmobile 
proceeds!