Miniture sad irons were often created as salemans samples, childrens toys or doll house accessories and these small irons were popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Salesmans samples were small scale replicas of full size products and were used by travelling salesman to demonstrate the features and functions of products without the need to transport the actual over cumbersome item. Many minitures found their way into the hands of children as the detailed craftmanship made them attractive for play.