Hello!  I am Mr. Hair.  I would like to take you on a tour of the vintage Fisher Price Little People Village I just added to my vast empire, and give you some pointers when purchasing your own.  You will see that this small area packs quite a wallop in value, and you can get your own at a fabulous price if you know what to look for!

As we chopper in, you can see an overall view.  The village, copyrighted in 1973 and touted at Fisher Price's largest Little People playset, consists of two main pieces that connect with a traffic light arm that also serves as a bridge.  The pieces fold together and have a 'handy' handle for carrying to find that all important thing in real estate: Location, Location, Location!  This one is currently located in the Mauve-y Desert, and I may have to look at relocation to someplace greener, like the living room..  Anyway, in your overhead survey, you may see common defects such as cracks in the roof, especially around the handle.  The original box, shown in the background, can also add value to your village depending on its condition.

Here is side one of the village.  In the first picture, I am standing near the Telephone Booth, which is an item often missing from this set. Perhaps a relic of earlier days, it is still a valuable asset to the village.  Leftmost on the building is the Fire Station.  Be sure it comes with a working siren (the handle on top), the white sliding garage door, and a fire truck with ladder and fireman.  A fire dog can ride on the back of the engine.  To the side of the station is a lamppost.  Look for one that is upright and not sprung.  Next is the Post Office-a must in this E-bay society, even if you are efficiently using carrier pickup!  There is a mail drop box in front that will directly deposit the letters into the mail truck.  Hint: you can get a great deal on a village that does not come with the mailtruck and/or letters...you can find them later in other auctions or store items.   Finally on the right is the Little People Theater, where all can go and watch the latest show.  Upstairs is a necessary evil: the Dentist's Office, and next to it is an alfresco Restaurant.

Side two of the village consists of the Police Station, the Barber Shop, and the Garage for your car repair needs.  Upstairs is a cosy apartment with outdoor patio where Ms. Perfect and I are enjoying a barbeque (also highly valuable if the litho is primo).  Things to look for here are the police car and man, the nozzle on the gas pump, and the red garage door.  Also, there is a lift inside the garage that works via handle on the side.  Below you can see the barber and dentist chairs, and Ms. Perfect is modeling the working cell door in the police station.  There should also be a two seater sofa and coffee table in the apartment.  A bed...likely with worn out foam...(or in Muppet talk "toast") can be used in the apartment, or in a cubby near the fire station to keep the fireman happy between calls.

Perfect lithographs bring a premium price, but sellers sometimes do not bring attention to their quality.  Ask questions and observe the photographs.  Sometimes you can get a great deal from a listing short on description.

What other tips do I have for someone in the market for one of these villages?  The high season for these is Christmas (good sets with all the mail are known to sell upwards of $85), so if you can time your purchase outside of the time between Halloween and Epiphany, you will get a better deal.  There can be a lull in late January (SuperBowl!), and in the summer months.  Also be sure to check the shipping price and seller location.  Often flat shipping is listed super high so that the seller can get a better total price and avoid paying E-bay fees...don't support such nonsense!  A village in the same or adjacent shipping zone to you should cost $7-10 via USPS Parcel Post to ship to your door.  If you need it faster, you will pay a premium for it.

The best advice is patience.  From watching auctions using Favorites and the daily notification e-mails, I was able to get the super Mr. Hair insider price of $35 plus $6.68 shipping on this village with good lithos, worn box, and 5 of the 6 letters.  How?  The seller did not give a detailed description (most notably not mentioning the letters), and it was up to the buyer to note the condition and items included.

A narrow search for just this village can be hard to accomplish as many newer Fisher Price toys also carry the name "village".  By using negative searching ( -whatever ), the proper item can be found: Vintage Fisher Price Village.  

If you found this guide helpful in purchasing Fisher Price real estate on E-bay, please vote "yes", or else I'll be saying: "You're Fired!!" and there will be a green taxi waiting for you.