Writing Desk and Stand (retired)

Grade: B-

desk (closes) with drawers and compartment that can come out.
stand
glass inkwell
feather pen
ledger

I ordered this last Sunday and today it came in. Out of all the things I have acquired for Josefina this desk was probably the first letdown.

The desk is two pieces. Part of it is plastic and the other parts are some sort of plywood or something like that. The outside of the top part of the desk is plastic, high quality plastic, but plastic nonetheless.

Already one of the drawers on this thing is slightly warped. The wooden stand is sturdy; the black plastic box, for that is what it is basically, is not that sturdy and does not complement the stand very well. The slightest touch will move it or knock it over.

I have the original school supplies that I got in 1999 as a birthday present, and the difference between the two ledgers is rather noticeable. My original ledger is made of leather and isn't that shiny, the one that came with this set is very shiny and most likely plastic. There are no differences between the quills, and the green inkwells are slightly different in color.

It is obvious that this desk was originally meant to hold the school supplies set, which I have but of which Mattel has discontinued. The desk seems rather worthless without the school supplies--and very empty. Its a nice piece to add to my collection, but of all of Josefina's things I've acquired in the last ten years, this one is the most disappointing.

[American Girl Rescue]

Writing Desk & Stand - JSF
$50
(after the Books & Supplies were discontinued the ledger, quill pen, and inkwell were included with the desk and the price rose to $54)

"Tía Dolores’s elegant writing desk came all the way up the Camino Real, the trail from Mexico City. Designed to be conveniently portable, it’s plain on the outside, pretty on the inside! Set the desk on its wooden stand, lift the lid, and fold down the front flap. Josefina store her books and writing supplies inside. There’s even a secret compartment so you can hide a surprise for Josefina."

I just received this item (one week after it retired) and I absolutely love it! It's so authentically Mexican and very sturdy and well made. The desk itself is black acrylic on the outside and on the fronts of the drawers, but made with wood on the inside and all the drawers and secret compartments.

Josefina's Writing Desk and Stand (size comparison)

The ledger that is included is real leather with a few pages inside that contain the Montoya Family Weavers accounts in both Spanish and English. Also included is the green glass ink well and white feather from the retired Books & Supplies set.

Leather bound Ledger, glass ink well, feather pen

The inside drawers open up to reveal two hidden compartments.

Drawers and hidden compartments

The inside of the lid as well as the front panel of the Writing desk has a laminate of authentic looking Mexican designs.

laminate of (imitation) Mexican wood inlays

The Writing Desk measures 3 3/4" tall x 5" wide x 3 3/4" deep when closed.

The closed up Writing Desk

The solid wooden stand is made with mortise and tenon construction and has a hand-tooled look to the finish.

The Desk Stand without the Desk

The Desk Stand has two 'arms' that pull out of the top bars to support the Writing Desk when the front flap is open for use.

The Desk Stand without the Desk, but with the front supports open

The is a wonderful addition to Josefina's collection and an important part to her story. The quality, durability and play-value is great. Grade A

[4kitty]

I have this desk too. But, I'm selling my Josefina items off and aquiring all Kit items. So, I read this review and thought the desk was plastic.

It's not a cheap piece at all. I'm having a lot of trouble getting photos loaded here and now. Once I figure it out - I'll let you see.

It is NOT! The desk cube is entirely made of Wood. This is a Pine and is easily carved by hand. The desk top closes for storage and to keep dust and dirt from getting into to the papers kept inside, just like a real one did in 1824. The inside, while not hand-painted, it has a very realistic print on the lid and desk-top. The drawers open and there is the secret hiding place inside. But the entire piece is all wood. There is a very solid finish in black painted on the outside.
If you take out the big drawer and look inside it is wood on all 4 sides of the black outside cube. I really like this piece. I wish I had more room for these pieces. I think it is close to museum quality.
Take my word for it- If I didn't have to let it go I wouldn't.

[kym]

This was a gift from my DD when their was rumors that the desk was retiring. The desk is black arcrylic on the outside, and wood on the side. It is very cute. B+

[green chile supergirl]

Grade: B

I purchased this set at MCM for the perfect price of $15. I really like it, but I think I would be disappointed with it had I paid the retail price.

It's deceptively sturdy, with the lid having a little lip that fits into an indention on the writing surface when the desk is folded up. The colors are very pretty; I really appreciate how all of Josefina's things fall into a simple, elegant color scheme. The plethora of little drawers and the two secret compartments are such much fun! I wouldn't have realized the second compartment existed without a little included slip of paper reading "push here to reveal the secret compartment."

The stand seems as if it's made from pine. It has the same beautiful detailing as the table/chairs set. I thought mine seemed a bit distressed, but after looking at the other reviews, it seems this is normal and not a particular effect of being an MCM item.

If you can find this piece for a reasonable price on the secondary market, go for it. However, I wouldn't recommend paying retail and definitely wouldn't go above retail for it.

[skukla]

I have 2 stands and no table as yet, so they are serving as the base for her table top (that would be posterboard!) at the moment.

[Candace]

I've owned mine for 5 years now. I'm not thrilled with how poorly it has held up. The hinges are what pisses me off most. They remind me of the cheap hinges on the jewelry box I ultimately got rid of that my aunt paid next to nothing for but gave to me as a Christmas present one year. The little pieces of metal that hold the hing together don't like to stay put. They also don't like to go back in. I spend time hitting the little things with a screwdriver to try to get them to go back in, to no avail. One of them was lost so I had to replace it with something else. Now the other one is trying to come out and doesn't want to go back in.

I've hardly played with this thing at all, and don't display it much. It sits mostly in Josefina's trunk.

In addition to the hinges, the chain broke off the side so I had to re-glue it.

I am glad I paid next to nothing for it, and would not recommend that anyone pay above retail for it. At retail even, long-term, it feels like a ripoff.

I shudder to think of how poorly this would have held up in the hands of a child. It is not well made at all. As greenchilesupergirl says, it is deceptively sturdy. In a way I am grateful that Mattel canned this piece of crap from its warehouse space. It is not well made at all.

Grade: D