Guides
Where to Buy Dollhouse Miniature Supplies in Canada Without Paying US Import Fees
Buy dollhouse miniatures in Canada from local shops and skip US import fees. Compare CAD pricing, Canada Post shipping and CBSA brokerage costs.
What to take away
- Five Canadian suppliers cover most jobs: The Little Dollhouse Company in Toronto, DeSerres, Lee Valley Tools, Michaels and Great Hobbies. Each bills in CAD and ships from Canada, so no border step applies.
- A US order adds GST or HST, sometimes duty, a brokerage fee and a currency spread. On a small parcel the brokerage often costs more than the duty.
- Ask four questions before orderingscale ratio, material, restock date and whether the parcel leaves a Canadian warehouse.
- The landed total is the number that matters. A CAD 60 domestic bundle typically clears at CAD 85 to 95.
Where to buy dollhouse supplies in Canada
These five suppliers stock miniature and diorama materials and ship within Canada.
| Supplier | Based in | What they stock |
|---|---|---|
| The Little Dollhouse Company | Toronto, Ontario | Dollhouse kits, 1:12 furniture, wallpaper, lighting, hinges |
| DeSerres | Montreal, Quebec, with stores in Quebec and Ontario | Basswood sheet, stripwood, acrylic paint, glue, knives |
| Lee Valley Tools | Ottawa, Ontario, with stores across Canada | Fine hand tools, small clamps, veneer, cabinet hardware |
| Michaels | Chain with stores in most provinces | Craft wood, card stock, water-based glue, basic paints |
| Great Hobbies | Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, plus Ontario and Alberta stores | Styrene sheet, brass tube, hobby knives, model paint |
Canadian miniature suppliers
- The Little Dollhouse Company, Toronto
- DeSerres, basswood and stripwood
- Curry's Art Store, Ontario
- Lee Valley Tools, Canadian warehouses
- Michaels Canada, CAD checkout
Most sell online and over the counter. A parcel from Toronto to Winnipeg moves on a Canada Post domestic rate and lands in a few days.
Book nook builders ask for 1/16 inch sheet and 1:12 trim, and the shops that serve them keep both. If you have not settled a scale, choosing between 1:12 and 1:24 explains what changes with the ratio.
What the border adds to a US order
The Canada Border Services Agency collects duty and taxes on most commercial courier imports. The courier adds a flat brokerage fee per parcel to clear the shipment, and that fee is not a percentage. The agency's courier import page sets out the rules.
Brokerage on a small parcel typically runs CAD 10 to 20, which small orders absorb badly. Duty follows the country of manufacture, not the country of purchase. A sofa built in the United States may enter duty free. The same sofa built in Asia usually carries duty.
A US list price looks lower until the parcel reaches the border.
US vs Canada landed cost
US retailer
- List price
- Low
- Duty
- Depends on origin
- GST/HST
- Province rate
- Brokerage fee
- Flat per parcel
- Border step
- CBSA clears
Canadian shop
- List price
- CAD price
- Duty
- None
- GST/HST
- Province rate
- Brokerage fee
- None
- Border step
- No clearing
GST or HST applies in every case, at the rate of your province. The Canada Revenue Agency lists GST and HST rates by province. A card issuer's exchange spread typically adds 1 to 3 percent to a USD price.
Before you compare two listings, read why dollhouse miniature kits vary so much in price, since the contents decide more of the total than the border does.
Example: a CAD 60 bundle priced twice
A CAD 60 bundle priced twice
Order from Toronto
- Goods
- CAD 60
- Shipping
- CAD 15 to 25 by Canada Post
- Brokerage
- none
- Duty
- none
- GST or HST
- 13 percent in Ontario
- Landed total
- CAD 85 to 95
Order from a US seller
- Goods
- CAD 62 after currency spread
- Shipping
- CAD 20 to 30 by courier
- Brokerage
- CAD 10 to 20 flat
- Duty
- zero or a few percent, by origin
- GST or HST
- 13 percent
- Landed total
- CAD 105 to 130
Those figures are typical ranges for one small parcel, not a quote. Your province fixes the tax rate and the courier sets the brokerage.
A domestic order removes the border, not the budget. Compare the landed total, not the sticker price.
Questions to ask a supplier
- What ratio is this part, and is the listing in 1:12?
- Which material is itbasswood, MDF, resin or styrene?
- When does this thickness come back in stock?
- Does this order ship from a warehouse inside Canada?
Ask in writing, so the answer survives the phone call. A shop that answers all four without checking knows its stock.
If you are buying tools at the same time, start with the eight tools worth buying first and skip the rest.
Is a US order ever cheaper?
Sometimes. One large shipment of items no Canadian shop stocks spreads the flat brokerage across many parts. For one or two pieces, the domestic shop usually wins.
A US seller's free shipping offer does not cover duty, tax or brokerage. Those charges arrive on delivery, after you have committed.
