This article from the New York Times today is fascinating: Murder Downsized.

I never had a doll house; well at least not what most people would consider a doll house. I had a combination of rigged up cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes, mom's tupperware (her pie safe made a great swimming pool), and whatever else I happened to scrounge up and assemble together. I remember that the plastic case that my brand new Mickey Mouse watch came in made a wonderful coffee table. It was great because I could expand and remodel as I liked with no limitations on size really or shape of the house.