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The Italian Light Set AND the Sleepy Village of Japan https://www.cardboardchristmas.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=899	Page 1 of 1

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Author:	Tom Hull [ Wed Jul 29, 2015 10:56 am ]
Post subject:	The Italian Light Set AND the Sleepy Village of Japan
When Paul found the little houses a while back in a second hand place I knew what he had and was going to write this earlier but got busy and so today I will show the differences and similarities of these two sets. The first is the title is different but the box design is the same. I HIGHLY suspect the Japanese was the copy and just about the same time. NOTICE that the windows on the box cover of both houses are the same design but in fact the sets are different in this respect. It would be interesting to find out exactly what happened and why but until the party's involved fess up much of this will be a mystery. Notice also the similarity of the set designation and the differences. The Italian set has the number 28 - 58 and I would almost believe that the last number could be the year the set was released. Attachments: EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 003.JPG [ 244.95 KiB | Viewed 14979 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 005.JPG [ 225.01 KiB | Viewed 14979 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 006.JPG [ 152.17 KiB | Viewed 14979 times ]

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Author:	Tom Hull [ Wed Jul 29, 2015 11:28 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The Italian Light Set AND the Sleepy Village of Japan
The first open box is the Italian Light set and you may notice the lid is attached to the box. The second set is the Japanese Sleepy Village Set and has a removable lid. Both have their original light strings and they are made in their respective countries BUT the lamps in the Italian set are very tiny and non-standard for miniature lamps whereas the Japan set has fairly standard miniature bulbs. The big difference is between the houses themselves. Though the designs are pretty much the same the Japan set has cellophane windows & doors but the Italians have paper windows and doors that have mullions printed on them in black. Only a very few of the Japan cellophane windows have gold mullions. Notice also the difference in the trees. The Japan are shaped like a typical bottle brush style but with a silver paper "trunk" and the Italian ones are sort of an over glorified pipe cleaner stuck in a plastic (planter) and the Attachments: EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 008.JPG [ 267.37 KiB | Viewed 14977 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 007.JPG [ 351.66 KiB | Viewed 14977 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 009.JPG [ 213.62 KiB | Viewed 14977 times ]

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Author:	Tom Hull [ Wed Jul 29, 2015 11:37 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The Italian Light Set AND the Sleepy Village of Japan
On the "Castle" which I believe is representing a typical European town hall, are noticeable differences. The Italian one on the left has regular dot stippling all over it AND true castellation on the towers and fence, whereas the Japanese version has a sort of all over sort of printed texturing and instead of castellation uses sort of a rick rack bordering. Notice also that there are green and blue cellophane windows as well as red. Attachments: EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 010.JPG [ 298.04 KiB | Viewed 14975 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 011.JPG [ 358.79 KiB | Viewed 14975 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 012.JPG [ 327.71 KiB | Viewed 14975 times ]

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Author:	Tom Hull [ Wed Jul 29, 2015 11:50 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The Italian Light Set AND the Sleepy Village of Japan
Lastly are the light strings which are quite different. The first is the Italian string with it's sub miniature type which I have not seen before this one. And it is marked "MADE IN ITALY". The next picture is the Italian set lit up but the only one you can tell it is to the back left a sort of log guard house also one that didn't get put back in. This is a series set as is the last pictured Japanese string also marked "MADE IN JAPAN". So to answer Papa Ted's question about the Made in Japan set yes the light string was made in Japan. Attachments: EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 018.JPG [ 283.56 KiB | Viewed 14975 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 014.JPG [ 237.37 KiB | Viewed 14975 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 019.JPG [ 227.05 KiB | Viewed 14975 times ]

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Author:	Tom Hull [ Wed Jul 29, 2015 11:57 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The Italian Light Set AND the Sleepy Village of Japan
I think I have covered this in depth with more detail than is likely necessary and have been meaning to post it for quite a while. But one last thing - not terribly important but a detail. A very few houses in each set have the "plaster" missing and exposing the brick below. In the instance of the Italian ones the area is defined by a clearly defined outline notice especially on the church. The Japanese set has just red bricks printed on the yellow background with no line around it. And lastly the Italian set is COVERED with a heavy coating of glass glitter - sharp enough to serve as sandpaper on my set. The last photo is of the Japan SLEEPY VILLAGE displayed. Attachments: EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 015.JPG [ 214.45 KiB | Viewed 14975 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 016.JPG [ 169.41 KiB | Viewed 14975 times ] EBAY APR 19B + SLEEPY VILLAGES 020.JPG [ 380.35 KiB | Viewed 14975 times ]

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Author:	paulrace [ Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:16 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Italian Light Set AND the Sleepy Village of Japan
Tom, thanks for posting this in such detail. I thought I had stumbled upon something unique, but you were way ahead of me. My incomplete set has gone to a good home, but it was nice to come across it, an even nicer to realize that you had a whole set, two whole sets if you count the Japanese copy. - Paul

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Author:	maria [ Fri Jul 31, 2015 7:31 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Italian Light Set AND the Sleepy Village of Japan
Very thorough Tom!

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