What is the difference between calico critters and sylvanian families?

Answer 1

Nothing, the company that distributes these toys lost the rights to the name 'Sylvanian Families' in the United States and Canada. The line of toys was re-introduced as Calico Critters in these countries because of this.

I disagree. My parents in Japan send us Sylvanian families dolls so I got to closely compare SF and Calico critters. For example, SF's cotton-tail rabbits' fur is a lot more softer and supple compared to CC's, and it is also true with other animals. However, SF dolls fur tend to peel off much easier than CC. My girls play with both, and though the fur isn't soft anymore, CC dolls' skin never peel off, even when my baby bites in them. Personally, I like SF better because the fur is much softer and feel real. And I will never scratch or bite them, I don't have to worry about peeling. So if your kids are young and can't be careful with their toys, I'd stick with CC.

Another difference is their hands. SF dolls hands are closed and CC open, which enable them to "pick up" little utensils. Not all the accessories are made to be held by the dolls, so open hands work sometimes and sometimes not. My girls like open hands so they can try to make them hold stuff, but they get frustrated when the accessories are too big and don't fit in their hands.

And here's another difference... If you look really closely in their faces, SF dolls have a lot kinder expression on their faces which make them look more like real animals. To me, CC dolls look just dolls.

If you are a collector and are gentle with dolls, I'd definitely stick with SF. If the dolls are for young kids, I'll go with CC. There are big differences.