Not many people know that Pleasant Company (and later American Girl) sold a real gingerbread house for Samantha that girls could put together and then eat! It was sold from 1986 to 2006 and retail cost was $12-$15.
I found this kit for sale recently and wanted to share pictures of the actual set. See this photo of the catalogue listing for a description of the set:
Catalogue Listing
Real Gingerbread House
It took Samantha an entire morning to decorate her gingerbread house. It won’t take you as long because you can use a gingerbread house kit. Everything you need is included: the real gingerbread pieces already baked, the candy trim, the pastry tube, a simple recipe for frosting, and directions. You just make the frosting and put the pieces together. A wonderful miniature centerpiece when you share Christmas dinner with Samantha. 3½” tall. SCAG $14
Holiday 1998 Catalogue
Photos of the Actual Set
The set I received is from around 1988 and is complete and unused with the original box and box band with the “SCAG” heart sticker intact.
*I do not recommend eating any of the gingerbread or candy from these kits since the most recent kits would be 17 years old (and the oldest kits would be 37 years old!)
How to Make Samantha’s Gingerbread House
Here are pictures of every page of the instruction booklet included with the kit:
It’s rare to find this kit complete and unused and collectors are willing to buy it to complete their collection. I’m hoping to get measurements of the gingerbread pieces to share so that others can recreate this house (whether out of gingerbread or non-edible materials).
Did you ever have Samantha’s Real Gingerbread House kit? Did you put the gingerbread house together and eat it or did you store it away? Leave a comment below!