Humans love miniature things. We love things that are cute, intricate, delicate, detailed, and small. A lot of this relates to our underlying psychology, and explains why we think certain things are so cute.
This love of all things miniature has driven a surge in the creation of miniature products, of all kinds. This is nothing new, mind you. Dollhouses and other types of miniature replicas of people, animals, household items and more have been in use as toys or baubles for centuries. The biggest difference we see between then and now, is the selection of miniatures at our disposal.
Different Types of Miniatures
There are a number of different types of miniatures, that can be largely segmented by their function, or type of function. Some miniatures are meant to be working versions of the full-sized product, nearly fully-functioning. Others are merely miniature replicas made to resemble or commemorate the real object. Still others serve a different purpose entirely from the full-sized object they represent.
Some are meant as decor, others as miniature stand-ins for a full-sized product that just wouldn’t fit, and some are just meant as fun toys. These groups can cross over and intermingle, and it’s not uncommon to see a model city, trainset, or dollhouse utilize a combination of functioning and non-functioning miniatures in the same scene.
Fully- or Nearly Fully-Functioning Miniatures
Fully or nearly fully-functioning miniatures are a product class that has exploded in recent years. With the ability to shrink older technology to miniscule sizes, with relative ease, the ability to create functioning miniature products at a reasonable cost was created.
These functioning miniatures generally serve a similar purpose to the full-sized version, often with some modifications. This type of miniature spans all sizes, product types, and functions. From miniature smartphones to “pocket” motorcycles, enthusiasts and brands have learned to shrink the essential components of these products to make a useable (if slightly less powerful) version of a product.
Non-Functional Replicas
On the other end of the spectrum, are the non-functioning miniature replicas. It is, in fact, a spectrum, and some objects tend to fall in between. Things like toys and model cars that “work” if powered by someone’s hand are only partially functional. Other miniatures, like dollhouse decor, or ceramic figurines, don’t function as their full-sized counterparts do at all.
Non-functional replicas are often prized for their intricacy and attention to detail. The craftsmanship that goes into creating perfect replicas, on a miniscule scale, can be very impressive and come at a high cost. Humans are drawn to detail-rich areas, and complex miniature representations of normal objects scratch that psychological itch perfectly.
Separate Purpose Miniatures
In some cases, a miniature replica of an object can serve a purpose completely separate from the purpose the full-sized version would serve. These “separate purpose miniatures” are interesting for a number of reasons. Sometimes the true purpose of the item is concealed behind the guise of the miniature figurine or object–like a miniature golf club that conceals a ballpoint pen. Other times, the purpose of the item is built right into the appearance of the mini; like a makeup compact that looks like a tiny laptop.
Dual-Purpose Miniatures
A subset of these separate purpose miniatures, are the dual-purpose miniatures that serve the purpose they depict, as well as a secondary purpose. The golf club/ballpoint pen combo mentioned above actually fits this category. We’ve also seen small, functional objects–like manual pencil sharpeners–hidden within miniature replicas, like this slot machine.
Miniature Versions of Things
There are so many different “Miniature Versions of Things” out there these days, we may end up uncovering new categories of miniatures to feature here. As technology continues to shrink, the number of “retro” products that we can condense to keychain size is going to become staggering!
Miniature Versions of Things 