keeps everything tidy
Calico Critters come with lots of little pieces...this is a great place to keep all those little pieces.

A great compromise and wonderful place to store the critters!
I have bought lots of the Calico Critters family series from Amazon and when I saw this case, I thought it would be a great compromise - i.e. not having to buy the more expensive Calico Critter houses. As a lot of the Calico Critter playsets come with tiny accessories, this carry n play case is practical as it has sufficient storage space for them. Also, this is a great case to bring along on playdates, or when travelling. My daughter was able to store some furniture, accessories, and up to a dozen Calico Critters in it when we travelled recently. My only complaint is the latch which is not strongly reinforced and opens easily. So, one has to be extra careful when carrying the case. But overall, I'd rate this item as a great alternative to purchasing the more expensive homes in the series, and a practical way to store and transport the critters and accessories.

Affordable and entirely adequate alternative to a Calico House
My daughter already has a dollhouse, so I was reluctant to get her Calico Critters complete with their own house. I saw the Carrying Case as a happy compromise. I'm pleased: the Carrying Case makes a very suitable home, and I've not had the problems other reviewers had with the latch. Perhaps they've fixed that problem.

So far, we've acquired three playsets ("Halley and Colin Have Fun at the Park" and "A Carriage Ride for Connor and Kerri" and "Zach and Sandy's Bike Riding Adventure"), bunk beds, and the Norwood Mouse twins, and have ample room to store more stuff in the case. My daughter adores her Calico Critters (and they are adorable, in spite of being ridiculously overpriced!), and it all stores in less than 5" of space on a shelf.

Great case, terrible latch!
My daughter just turned 3 and she loves the Calico Critters! I received this case in the mail the day before her birthday and I removed the plastic to check it out before I wrapped it. I tried to open the latch the very first time and the latch came off in my hands! It is only attached to the cardboard frame by what look like 4 small eyeglass screws. I tried to put them back in (after searching the floor for the tiny screws!) but the holes were stripped and it was impossible to put them back in. My daughter loves the case and plays with her critters in there all the time, but they should be able to find a better way to attach the latch!

Great traveling toy
There is a lovely little toy store near me that has a great selection of calico critters. Whenever I went in with my oldest, she would only ever play with the calico critters house and figures that were set out for display. She loved them so much I decided to purchase the carrying case, rabbit family and 3 sets of furniture. I bought this for my daughter a few years ago before our regular trips to see the grandparents in NYC. It really is great for traveling. She is 5 and 1/2 and she still loves to play with this set. The carrying case is very well made and lovely with great storage capacity in 3 sturdy drawers. When opened up, it really is like a little dollhouse. My one quibble would be that the latching system is not adequate. But other then that, a great investment for my daughter.