Lilliput Lane Cottages has long been considered one of our favorite collectibles, along with Willow Tree, Border Fine Arts and Lladro figurines. Lilliput Lane was founded in the early 1980s as a competitor to David Winter Cottages. David Winter had been around for a year or two and had the market pretty much to themselves. The miniature cabin phenomenon was in its infancy, but it was in full swing. The difficulty we had was that the company was eccentrically run. The cabins were modeled by David Winter, but he was by no means a businessman.
The business side was run by a guy named John Hine, a huge self-publisher, who enjoyed challenging convention. He didn’t believe in showing off at trade shows. He didn’t like hiring agents either, so getting information on new releases and discontinuations wasn’t easy at the best of times. Another quirk was that the delivery man would drop off the cartons at our doorstep and then demand a check, not the best way to build customer relationships. Also, and most worryingly, the quality of David Winter Cottages was not good enough. They were plaster based and tended to chip easily.
So the market was crying out for a competitor. And like a knight in shining armor, Lilliput Lane Cottages arrived. What a refreshing change. The concept was developed by David Tate. He saw the potential for collectability in miniature cabins designed in the vernacular style. He was also, as he never tired of telling me, versatile. Not only did he develop the skill of modeling cottages, but he was also an engineer and was able to develop the best fabrication technique that would, on the one hand, preserve the amazing attention to detail that characterizes Lilliput Lane Cottages, but would also make more powerful use of them. . He increased the polyresin content of the cabins and devised a much more successful formula as a result.
David Tate also appreciated the importance of regular returns and withdrawals, the idea that you have to keep collectors on their toes. From day one, Lilliput Lane has always been managed in the most professional manner. We receive regular visits from our representative, the product was always well presented and properly packaged. Trade shows were attended and Lilliput Lane used to have a reputation for having one of the most innovative and attractive stands.
Over the years, Lilliput Lane grew in popularity and it didn’t take long for the range to overtake David Winter Cottages as the number one collectible cottage. As time went by, David Winter became more desperate and it seemed that shortcuts were being taken. In some cases, unfortunately, it seemed as if the collector was not being treated seriously. In one infamous case, a range of castles was introduced in quite a high edition number. Simultaneously, the same models were produced but on a resin base, but in a much lower edition number and at a much higher price. It was decisions like these that really put the final nail in David Winter’s coffin. Owners came and went, but as hard as they tried, the slide continued unabated until the only real demand was in the US, and that too was negligible. Ultimately, ironically, the brand was taken over by Enesco, the distributors of the Lilliput Lane cottages. They were able to focus on the small and dwindling group of collectors, while concentrating their main efforts on their own excellent brand.
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