The Curious Collector

Community is the heart of collecting. While the objects bring us joy, the friendships and bonds we gain within a hobby are the lasting benefits of a shared passion. In this episode of The Curious Collector, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook offers his thoughts on how building community relates to becoming a better collector. He explores the amazing benefits to not only happiness within collecting but life in general as well. Communities are built in so many ways, and Stuart lays out where to find them in the world today. From local doll clubs to online groups, they all have their place in the conversation of collecting and community. 

Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art. 

Collectors preserve not just the items themselves but are also the protectors of their histories. Provenance is the path of an item and tells a vital story beyond the aesthetic. Yet, for collectors, while much of that history may be with them, sadly it often goes undocumented and is lost. In this episode of The Curious Collector,  Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook discusses the myriad of benefits that come from documenting and cataloging your collection over time, as well as the importance of this task for future generations of collectors. He helps collectors see that the process can be fun, engaging, and provide powerful insight into the items they procure over time. This episode offers compelling reasons as to why this is one of the most important things you can do over your life of collecting and  provides tips on how to develop a library of your collection - as well as which items and information are essential to include.

Here are links to the websites that offer cataloging services for collectors:  ICollectEverything.com, ArtGalleria.com, ArtWorkArchive.com and Collectors.Place.

Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art. 

R. John and Susan Wright have for fifty years captured the imagination of doll collectors across the globe. From a humble start in the Wright home in Vermont, they would grow to become one of the most revered doll companies in modern times. During this period, they held true to their roots of painstaking design with each doll handmade locally. The fandom of R. John Wright Dolls grew to include exhibits in Japan, special clubs, and even an annual International Convention. On this 50th anniversary of the firm, Susan Wright shares with Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook, her memories, personal stories, and provides a candid look into the genius of R. John and his designs. As well, she discusses her own personal story in their partnership. R. John passed away in 2025 but Susan beautifully talks of his legacy in doll making being one that will continue for generations to come. 

Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art. 

Is there science behind the collector’s mind? There actually is. Dr. Shirley Mueller joins Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook for a conversation about her life. both as collector and neurologist, in uncovering just that. Dr. Mueller shares her own experiences and how they directly correlate with the mechanics of the brain that has been more recently studied through MRI’s and practical analysis. It’s a message of positivity and a wonderful opportunity for collectors to understand themselves better - but more importantly, to understand the science that can guide you to even more fulfillment in your pursuit. Lastly, it’s a wonderful opportunity for the non-collectors, The Others, to better respect the passion of collectors. Her book, Inside the Head of A Collector: Neuropsychological Forces at Play, is a must-read and easily the most important work ever published on the subject.

You can purchase a copy of Dr. Mueller's book and learn more about her career and research here: https://www.collectorbrain.com/

Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art. 

Stuart Holbrook has spent decades as President of Theriault’s working with collectors around the world. In that time,  he has learned valuable lessons from them in their collecting evolution. One of the most valuable is their willingness to share how they worked with just a modest income yet still managed over time to build world-class collections. With that, Stuart came to see that wealth is not always the pathway to a great collection. It can be built in other ways as well. In this episode, he shares his lessons from these collectors which, in the end, leads to not just a great collection but a greater experience in collecting. 

Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art. 

Over the past year, Theriault’s President Stuart Holbrook traveled across America and Canada on a whirlwind lecture tour to over 60 doll clubs, both big and small. In this episode of The Curious Collector, he shares his experiences with many of the wonderful collectors he met, the funny stories behind many of these appearances and the positiveness of people with shared passions coming together as a community. It became a discovery not only of the collector's heart, but a story of America as well. With that, Stuart takes us from February all the way to December to relate all he learned in this time -  a journey that was meant to validate collectors - but ended up as much becoming a hopeful experience for him. 

Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art. 

In this episode, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook talks with Stephanie Blythe, who has been an integral part of the doll artist community for a generation. Her work, spanning over four decades, is testament to a time in which her experience offers us a glimpse into the early transformation of the doll being thought of as an art form. With this, she offers insight into an organization she holds dear, NIADA. Stephanie breaks down the past and the current mission of how NIADA preserves the legacy of artists before and encourages the artists of the future. Of course, no discussion of the growth of doll art in the latter 20th century is complete without a discussion of fitness guru and pop culture icon Richard Simmons. Stephanie shares her memories of the most public patron and muse to an entire generation of doll artists. 

You can see Stephanie's amazing work here and learn more about NIADA here.

Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art. 

In this episode of The Curious Collector, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook provides his thoughts on how collectors assess condition and the grading of antiques which, in his belief, is and should always be subjective. He shares his approach in focusing on the positives first and the negatives as an adjunct. But, Stuart stresses that there is no uniform formula. Countless criteria affect a collector’s investigation of condition.  It's always personal and varies from one genre to another on everything from English Wooden Dolls to French and German Bisques to cloth, composition and hard plastic dolls. This episode helps you understand the nuances and steps to make your collecting work for you and to critically think through the process of assessing a doll's condition. 

Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art. 

You think you know the story of Barbie. However, unless you are an insider to the real history you may not know the name, Jack Ryan. He is now being thought of as The Father of Barbie who ushered in her true coming to life as the most iconic doll in history. He was an engineer, designer and the genius behind every nuance and curve of a doll recognized around the world. His story is a fascinating one. Not just as an engineer of missile projects for the Pentagon who later found himself as Mattel’s principle Engineer of Toys - but his later flamboyant and eccentric lifestyle that was at times both remarkable and complex. Ann Ryan, his daughter, literally grew up with the origins of her father’s creation, his life, and the wealth he created seemingly overnight. From their castle in Bel Air where Hollywood A-listers would party and visit nearly every day, to the ultimate pain her father would endure later in life by seemingly being wiped away from Barbie’s history. Throughout it all, Ann was in the room. This is her father’s story...as well as her own.

Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art. 

Every collector is unique in their focus. With that, every collector has the opportunity to build a unique brand as to their particular passion. Whether broad or narrow there are opportunities in doing so. Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook shows us in this episode how your identity is essentially a brand that can work for you in building your collection as well as help to protect and educate the world of doll collecting on the particular genre you love the most. Further, he explores how it adds a layer of enjoyment for collectors in becoming a researcher and spokesperson for a particular niche. Collecting is more than gathering. Collecting is a pursuit and discovery of your identity within a category you feel connected to and are passionate about. 

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Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com and check out Theriaults.com as well where you can learn more as to the exciting auctions held throughout the year at Theriault’s, the world’s leader in the auction of dolls and figurative art.