SOUTH JORDAN — Not many grown men play with dolls, and Frank Martin wouldn't know a Cabbage Patch Kid from a Polly Pocket.
But Martin knows an anchor bolt from a joist hanger. And he knows even small, inanimate "people" need adequate housing — at prices their owners can afford.
Martin, who founded Nu-Cut Wood Products 15 years ago, specializes in building Barbie-size dollhouses. Before retiring from his federal government job four years ago, it was a sideline business. But now it's his full-time obsession.
"I can't imagine the day I stop doing this," Martin said.
Martin's wife, Bobbie, said she has been helping him since 1990. She finishes the dollhouses that they have on display for customers to look at.
"They're a lot of fun — it piques my creative interest and is therapeutic," she said.
Martin sells a vanishing art to the public.
"Handcrafted items are a lost art due to our fast pace and throw-away lifestyle," Martin said. "My dollhouses are designed to last the test of time — heirlooms are forever."
Martin begins the creation of a possible family treasure. He builds the frame of the dollhouses and does all the intricate designs.
After Martin adds the finishing touches to the dollhouse, he offers accessory items such as shingles, siding, interior windows, exterior windows and other things. He also provides free wallpaper to customers.
"They customize their dollhouse to their individual taste," Martin said. "I like to approach each dollhouse like an artist — I provide the canvas with a custom picture frame, and the customer paints the picture."
The 59-year-old Martin said making a rocking horse for his daughter in 1976 is what got him started in the business of making children's wooden-heirloom toys. His wife refers to him as a renaissance man. He also works with copper and brick, is an accomplished welder and even does some general contracting work.
"I do a little bit of everything, but my time is more devoted to dollhouses," he said.
The houses range from $134 to $235. They can be as big as 51 inches high by 48 inches wide and as small as 43 inches high by 32 inches wide. Martin said they fit a standard Barbie doll.
Martin signs and dates his dollhouses.
If customers do not want to design their own dollhouse, Martin does have his completed dollhouses available for purchase. He said the completed houses can be valued at up to $2,400.
Although buying a fully decorated dollhouse is an option, Martin encourages his customers to buy the basic framework so they can design it themselves.
Martin said sometimes people are unsure of their abilities to design the dollhouse, but once they get started it becomes their masterpiece.
"Customers are excited to share their finishing experiences and their appreciation for good quality products," he said.
Martin added parents tell him that of all the toys their children receive, the dollhouse is the one kids constantly play with.
"It just makes this whole thing that much more rewarding," he said.
Nu-Cut Wood Products is not a year-round business. The busiest times are from September to December.
Martin works six days a week, putting in 10- to 12-hour days.
"Since I put so much demand on quality, it requires me to work longer hours," he said.
He starts preparing next year's stock the day after Christmas.
Martin's quality dollhouses are well-known throughout the nation. He said he has had offers from back east to sell his product in mass production. So far he has refused to do so.
Martin does not discuss how many dollhouses he produces each year.
"I don't like to talk about quantities because I don't want to jinx myself," he said.
Martin believes once he starts talking about it he'll have to set a quota and match or beat it each year.
Since each dollhouse is like a "one of a kind," he concentrates on the quality rather than the quantity and builds a limited edition each year in order to increase the value when a dollhouse is completed.
As much as Martin enjoys building the dollhouses, there have been times when he's wanted to give up the business so he and his wife can do more traveling. What keeps him from quitting is the smile on little girls' faces when they see the dollhouse of their dreams.
"I'm not doing this out of necessity — I do this because I have enjoyed making people happy," Martin said.
Rod Katwyk, a tile contractor, was one customer Martin helped to give his children an unforgettable gift. Katwyk bought a dollhouse for his 5- and 3-year-old daughters this past Christmas.
"They're into Barbies, but we wanted more of an heirloom, not just a plastic throw-away deal," he said. "It's just the way my wife is. She buys things that will last. And if we were going to get a dollhouse, it was going to last forever."
The Katwyks put hours of work into the house to make it the treasure they imagined it to be.
Katwyk's wife, Ambra, is in the interior design business. By combining their talents, she and her husband created an heirloom dollhouse.
"We really blinged this baby out," Rod Katwyk said.
Ambra Katwyk said their daughters love and respect the dollhouse.
"They recognize the quality there, and they respect that because they know they'll have it forever," she said.
Grandmother Gena Pulsipher purchased her first two dollhouses about six years ago for her granddaughters, who are now 12 and 10. This year she bought two for two other granddaughters.
She said she wanted to do something for her grandchildren that would last. And as they have gotten older they have gained a greater appreciation for the dollhouses.
"My 12-year-old granddaughter plans to keep hers until she has her own family — hopefully she'll have a daughter," Pulsipher said.
Part of what makes Pulsipher's dollhouses unique is the application of her folk-ark painting talents when she designs them.
Like Martin, Pulsipher signs and dates the dollhouse after she's completed it. It has become a project of pride, not just a children's toy.
"This Christmas it took me three months to finish them," she said.
E-mail: tdemasters@desnews.com