Vintage Fisher Price #993 Classic Collector Castle Play Set COMP/EXC!

Here for your review is a Fisher Price Little People CLASSIC COLLECTOR'S EDITION CASTLE! According to Fisher Price lore, this building was constructed for ONLY one year (1988) and then it was retired. In total, only 69,000 of these castles were produced for world-wide distribution! As a result, "true blue" Fisher Price Little People collectors covet this play set.

Not only is this CASTLE 100% COMPLETE, it's in EXC++ condition!!! This toy personifies Fisher Prices's reputation for imaginative, durable toys. This particular castle came without the flag and it featured the picture of a sleeping dragon on its front banner. It also came with the Fisher Price logo imprinted in the plastic over the drawbridge instead of on a litho.

The castle itself consists of a drawbridge that really works, a trap door to seize unsuspecting invaders, a dungeon to house unsavory "prisoners," a cave for a "friendly" dragon with a back escape hatch, and a moving staircase that conceals the castle's occupants in a "safe" room during an attack. While all levers, doors, and trap doors work as designed, the drawbridge no longer emits a "ratchety sound" when raised or lowered.

Although all the original lithos are present, they do display some wear. Specifically, after closely inspecting this base, I discovered the following "flaws" on the EXTERIOR lithos:

1. The sleeping dragon on the front tower has a small rub (e.g. 1/4" L x 1/8" W) on the dragon and a 1/4" L x 1/16" scratch across the 993 wooden address sign;

2. The moat litho displays some moderate staining, a small V -shaped tear on the litho's edge under the drawbridge, a few rubs on the litho under the dungeon door, some partial loosening of the litho itself, and some marked edgewear on the two front edges leading to the drawbridge entry way; and

3. A faint rub and light scratch on the Lucky litho on the back right hand side tower window.

As far as the INTERIOR lithos are concerned, I noted the following "imperfections:"

1. Numerous rubs, scratches, and torn sections at the front of the dragon's lair litho; this is the first time I noticed these;

2. Some mild-moderate scrapes and rubs on the Castle floor; this is a common occurrence in these sets and is one of the ways you can tell if it's the original litho or a reproduction litho; portions of the floor litho are missing behind and under the sliding staircase; the floor litho is also loose in spots;

3. A couple of miniscule rubs on the fireplace's mantle and on the chair to the left of the locked door on the second floor.

All the other INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR lithos are in FABULOUS condition with bright coloration and whimsical graphics. In general, I would rate these EXTERIOR lithos as being in VG++-EXC condition and the INTERIOR lithos as being in VG++ condition.

You may have noted in some of my photos, I have secured some replacement or reproduction lithos for the moat, interior floor, and the dragon's lair. ( The latter replacement litho is not featured in my photos as I didn't realize the original was damaged when I took these photos). These reproduction lithos are exact replicas of the originals and are easily applied by removing their stick back coverings and mounting them on the clean, designated surface. These replacement litho cost @$20.00 but I'm including them at no charge. While I don't make it a practice of modifying vintage sets with replacement lithos (I don't want people to think I'm selling altered play sets), I do provide these replacement lithos as a service to my customers if they would like to use them to "spruce up" their castle. If you would like to just go with the original lithos, I will do my best to clean and restore them the best I can. This is your choice. With these replacement lithos, the quality of all the lithos rises dramatically to EXC++-NEAR MINT condition.

The plastic surfaces of the Castle are in EXC -EXC++condition. There are no chips or breaks on any of the plastic surfaces (base, towers, roof). There are several minor "dings" (pin-head size), a few scratches and abasions on the lower edge of the green plastic base, some extraneous marks and soiling thoughout the piece, and a silver blue marble stuck in the well of the back tower next to the dragon stained glass window. I'm confident the dirt and stray marks will come off with Goo Gone and a thorough Q-tip cleaning. I also believe I will be able to minimize or eradicate altogether many of the white marks on the green base through a thorough cleaning and an application of Armor All wipes followed by a buffing. I doubt that I will be able to remove the stuck marble as it appears to be tightly lodged in that well. Last, but not least, I spotted a semi-circular crack on the edge of the green base on the back side of the set (under the balcony). I will be repairing this with Super Glue so it does not progress any further. It will be virtually invisible once it is repaired.

The masonite base underneath the Castle evidences a couple of water stains and some writing in marker (e.g. 298 B C011). I am not even going to try to remove this as I fear it would case more damage to the base than it is worth. Obviously, these stains and marks do not show while the base is in play or while on display. The masonite base appears slightly warped (e.g. hangs down lower than it should) but the Castle sits securely on a solid surface and does not wobble.

I have outfitted this castle with some of the finest accessories available. These include:

1 HTF large yellow bed w/crown headboard with @ 20% of its original foam (VG+--if it contained all of its original foam, would be considered in NEAR MINT-MINT condition; NOTE: I will NOT be removing any of this residual foam as die-hard Fisher Price collectors value its presence);

2 HTF yellow twin beds with crown headboards w/ traces of its original foam (VG+--once again, if these retained their original foam, they would be considered in NEAR MINT- MINT condition);

2 tall yellow thrones w/crown emblems (both EXC++--couple of teensy "nibbles" on upper back of thrones and some minor roughness on the left edge of one of the thrones);

2 small yellow thrones w/crown emblems (both MINTY MINT);

1 VHTF round yellow table with steak litho (EXC++ slight edge wear, some soiling, and a few minor rubs; otherwise, in NEAR MINT condition);

1 RARE Black horse with circle on his belly (NEAR MINT; some minor paint wear to white stockings; ears, tail, facial features are SPECTACULAR; joints are firm; no chew marks; NO stress fractures any where; a horse of this caliber often costs $15-19.00);

1 HTF Brown horse NEAR MINT; all facial features sharp and clear; all joints are firm with both ears, tail, legs in GREAT shape; NO CHEWS; one teensy (e.g. @1/8" L) stress fracture above left front flank; I will be repairing this with Super Glue so it doesn't progress; one 3/8" scratch or crack (can't tell which) on lower left side; I will be solidifying this with Super Glue as well);

1 EXTREMELY RARE pink dragon (EXC++ all joints are firm; DYNAMIC pink color---will be even more MESMERIZING once I clean this guy; will shine all over; all of yellow spots 100% intact without any scratches; dragon has BOTH ears and striking facial features; left ear has a crack at its base that has been repaired in the past; I also reinforced this repair with Super Glue so there's no danger of it breaking off; scales have original bright turquoise color with only a faint hint of pink showing through on the last four large scales on his tail; couple of indentations on ears that may have been caused by a child's tooth; I can't tell for sure; that's it. THIS IS ONE AWESOME DRAGON!!!! Dragons such as this frequently command any where from $25.00-35.00);

1 HTF yellow saddle blanket (MINT);

1 RARE white scalloped harness (MINT); and

1 HTF white/yellow carriage (MINT).

The "royals" and their entourage consists of 6 ALL PLASTIC figures. Due to their rarity, the all plastic "royals" and "woodsman" frequently fetch up to $15.00 a piece. The group consists of:

1 VHTF purple bodied King with mustache (MINTY MINT);

1 VHTF purple bodied Queen (NEAR MINT--pin-head size rub to left eye);

1 RARE aqua bodied Prince (MINTY MINT);

1 RARE aqua bodied Princess (MINTY MINT);

1 RARE green bodied Woodsman (NEAR MINT--little roughness on the front point of the cap; not chews); and

1 HTF gray bodied Knight (EXC++-NEAR MINT---minor wear on the bottom of the piece).

If you've been "pining" for a castle, DON'T PASS THIS ONE UP!!! I've assembled this set from sellers all over the United States and Canada. It's literally taken me 10 months to do so.

You may look at this and say, "Oh I can't afford to buy that castle; it's too expensive." However, if you look at the price other castles are selling for, let alone their pieces, and the condition they're in, this is a BARGAIN! I've super "nit-picky" in describing this play set. It's a GEM! I'm not exaggerating when I say THIS IS THE SET OF A LIFETIME!

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the size and weight of this offering, I ONLY WILL ONLY SHIP THIS SET TO THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. Canadian buyers are responsible for any Custom's duties, brokerage fees etc. Insurance is required. I swaddle these "babies" with bubble wrap, utilize white moving paper, air pockets, styrofoam and cardboard inserts, and styrofoam chips to maximize their safety en route. However, I cannot be held responsible for what happens to these packages once they leave my hands.

I will be thoroughly cleaning this Castle with a myriad of cleaning products before shipping it to its new owners. I any where from 1 - 1 1/2 -5 hours cleaning each and every play set I sell. I utilize a variety of cleaning products---Goo Gone, Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser, Dawn, Soft Scrub, Comet, Oops!, Crayon Away etc. My sets are IMMACULATE! All you have to do is unwrap the set and set it up for play or display.

ALL SALES ARE FINAL! I'VE PROVIDED DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THIS PLAY SET ALONG WITH NUMEROUS PHOTOS FOR YOUR PERUSAL. I'VE BEEN SUPER "NIT-PICKY" IN MY DESCRIPTIONS. MANY OF MY PREVIOUS CUSTOMERS HAVE ATTESTED THAT THEIR PURCHASES FROM ME HAVE EXCEEDED THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND MY DESCRIPTIONS. PLEASE CHECK MY FEEDBACK AND BID WITH CONFIDENCE:)

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Preferred payment is via PayPal. Payment is expected within 5 business days.

The price listed is for the item itself. The total amount due will be the purchase price of the item + the ACTUAL shipping cost to deliver your item to you. All shipping costs or extra fees (in the case of Canadian shipments) are the responsibility of the buyer. I will do everything in my power to find you the cheapest shipping rate—-whether it’s the USPS (First Class, Parcel, or Priority), Fed Ex, or UPS. I DO NOT PAD MY SHIPPING COSTS—-NEVER HAVE AND NEVER WILL! I SHIP WITHIN 48 HOURS OF A CLEARED PAYMENT.

I primarily utilize Fed Ex Home Delivery for items exceeding 5 lbs. in weight, measuring greater than 12 inches in any dimension, or traveling longer distances. I’ve been finding Fed Ex has been running @33% cheaper than the USPS (including Parcel Post) and UPS Ground. FYI, another benefit of using either Fed Ex or UPS is that their quote includes up to $100 worth of FREE insurance. Additional amounts of insurance may be purchased for a nominal fee (that is much less than the USPS). Fed Ex also provides automated tracking updates re: your parcel’s whereabouts directly to your personal e-mail account.

In order to ship Fed Ex (or UPS for that matter), I MUST have a residential or work place address, NOT a P.O. Box number, as well as a home or cell phone. Otherwise, they will not accept the shipping paperwork or transport your item.
Since Bonanza's shipping calculator does NOT offer Fed Ex Home Delivery as a shipping option, PLEASE DO NOT SEND PAYMENT UNTIL I HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MANUALLY CHECK THESE RATES AND INSERT THEM INTO YOUR INVOICE. Otherwise, the shipping calculator may overcharge you.

Packages traveling to Alaska or Hawaii will be shipped Parcel Post via the USPS. Insurance and delivery confirmation are required.

I’m more than willing to combine multiple purchases into one box whenever it is safe to do so to decrease your shipping costs. Once again, PLEASE wait to check out until I can combine your purchases on ONE INVOICE and can calculate their combined shipping rate via Fed Ex. If you pay for these items separately, I get charged multiple transaction fees by PayPal plus you get over-charged on your shipping. Of course, I will refund you any amount over $1.00 that you've overpaid on shipping. However, it's easier on both of us if you wait until I can send you the correct amount.

I’m more than happy to ship selected play sets to Canada. Remember that shipping to Canada can be quite expensive so please contact me for a shipping quote before you purchase an item. I will attempt to find the cheapest shipping rate possible. Packages weighing less than 4 lbs. will be shipped First Class Mail International. Those weighing over 4 lbs. will be sent Priority Mail International. Please note that Canadian customers will be responsible for any brokerage fees, Custom’s duties, or VAT’s imposed by your governments. I am not responsible for these charges. Insurance is required for all international shipments.

Last, but not least, I offer a 10% discount for orders totaling $125.00 or more.

ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO RETURNS ARE ACCEPTED. I have attempted to bring any noted "imperfections" to your attention prior to your purchasing the item. However, I'm only human. If I have missed something or you have a problem with your purchase, please contact me prior to leaving feedback.