Fruits of Old Town Scottsdale (and a shopping guide!)

Elena Rodriguez brings Katie some dolls for her dollhouse.

They're not fully articulated, but you know toy makers are cutting back on that.

These are very small worry dolls from Guatemala. The Mexican Imports store in Old Town Scottsdale sells them for 10 cents each. (There's a list of where else to find toys in Old Town at the end of this post.)

They're also not known for facial expressiveness.

Action is taking place in front of a blank backdrop today because this is what happened yesterday to Katie and Hayden's house.

And it's not even on the San Andreas Fault.

I came home to find the upper floor had collapsed onto the lower floor because one strip of molding supporting it had come unglued. Presumably it was the combination of heat and humidity that did it. I am considering Gorilla Glue now.

Fortunately, nothing broke other than one sofa leg.

Elena also has decor for Hayden, who is still looking shell-shocked from having her living room floor fall precipitously while she was innocently sitting on the sofa.

Fitzroy wants to know if there's food.

It turns out that Razzle Dazzle -- the bead store I used to go to -- did not go under but merely moved to the back of its already obscure galleria. The vase in Hayden's lap was the one I wanted (though it may go to the Hipsters since they have matching planters), and after the owner discounted that for me, she insisted on giving me the broken one and the giant mug for free.

Do dogs like bananas? Fitzroy is not sure.

So I bought some more stuff, also discounted, notably two zebras, the sort of Asian vase in Elena's lap, and the bananas.

Places to buy toys and dollhouse paraphernalia in Old Town Scottsdale

• Bischoff's Shades of the West: biggest and best of the tourist-focused emporiums, especially if you explore deep enough to find the miniature storyteller figures (which have been moved to one of the back rooms). The key chain and refrigerator magnet section is often fruitful with handicrafts and anthropomorphic cactus.
  
• Mexican Imports: the bargain bazaar, with pottery animals, ironwood animals, Day of the Dead figures, worry dolls, miniature serapes, coasters like native rugs, and other miniature delights, all dirt cheap.
  
• Southwestern Reflections: a toy store, with a selection of dolls in Native American dress. The ones I remember are the Golden Keepsakes line.
  
• Razzle Dazzle: the difficult-to-find bead store, where the selection includes a small variety of beads that work as dollhouse ornaments. The easiest way to find it at the moment is to locate the prickly pear tea-art gallery-yoga shop and then go straight back through the little 1950s galleria.
  
• Old Town Candy and Toys: combines novelty vintage-style toys with some standard Melissa & Doug offerings. Also -- candy! I go mostly for the candy, but it's a super-cute place to be.

There is also a store on Brown Avenue that displays (not for sale) dioramas of Western scenes. I think it might be Atkinson's Trading Post, but I don't visit it on every trip because I've never bought anything there and don't want to be annoying.

I always eat at David's Hamburgers because that's what locals do.