My Merry Dolly's Laundry Closet, circa 1957

Play sets let children set up, play with, and exert control over their own little worlds. Often these were miniaturized sets of household items, like kitchen appliances, or real-life settings like farms. During the late 1950s and 1960s, Merry Manufacturing Company produced numerous themed play sets like these for both boys and girls, including tiny versions of name-brand products.