The Curious Collector

For Theriault's President, Stuart Holbrook, the novel, Cadillac Jack, by legendary American author, Larry McMurtry, has served as an inspiration for his entire career. This book alone brought him back to “the business” after college with it's rich depiction of a life scouting out fine objects and the people and adventures that follow. In this episode, Stuart highlights the why of this wo...

Ursula Mertz, the German immigrant to America who would ironically come to define the American doll of the 1900-1950 era, is a true national treasure. Her research and vibrant personality shaped a generational understanding of this category in dolls and allowed them a home where appreciation and respect would follow. Her countless articles and the landmark, Encyclopedia of American Composition Dol...

This is a story that needed to be told. Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook narrates the difficult recent life of acclaimed Ukrainian doll artist, Juliet Peliukh. A story that started with a tragedy in 2009, was upended again by the war in 2022, and is still unfolding today. It is a heartbreaking tale of survival; a tale in which dolls have served as a central thread of hope. There's n...

Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook details his recent journey to the annual NIADA - National Institute of American Doll Artists - conference which brings together doll artists and patrons from across the world. He shares his reflections from his time there and, as well, the premise of the keynote talk he gave to attendees. That is, history is our greatest teacher. And as contemporary art d...

Collector Conversations is now a regular addition to The Curious Collector podcast that allows listeners to understand the lives, inspirations, and pursuits of so many different collectors around the world. Best of all, it's a chance to hear it all candidly from their own perspectives in order to inspire those just starting this journey - as well as validating those long established collector...

In this episode of The Curious Collector, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook takes us through his forty-years of experience in handling heirs and collections  and why some turn into a wonderful process of honoring a relative while others can turn contentious. With stories of success, alongside cautionary tales of things gone wrong, he helps to identify the why of each so that collectors no...

Collector Conversations is a new feature at The Curious Collector, one that allows the listener to understand the lives, inspirations, and pursuits of so many different collectors across the world. Many just like you. For the first in this series, we turn to Catherine Peterson, the well-known collector who has been at the forefront of not only engagement, but contributions to the hobby and as a pr...

Objects need more than ownership, they beg for presentation. The display of collections, while often overlooked, form an understanding and a deep context. in this episode of The Curious Collector, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook shares his experiences with doll collectors across the world and reveals the techniques they use to help visualize the display as a vehicle of narrative. He dis...

In this episode of The Curious Collector, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook takes us on a journey of discovery into how artificial intelligence intersects with collecting. With that, posing questions throughout, is it friend or foe? Does it actually help collectors or instead guide them down dangerous paths? After months of research into this powerful tool, his insight can help collectors...

As a counter to Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook's previous episode on community and collecting, in this episode, he talks about an alternative approach, collecting done quietly and in the shadows. The forming of a “secret garden” if you will. These quiet collectors make up a significant proportion of enthusiasts out there but are often misunderstood. Stuart discusses why some choos...

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 co...

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...

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 exh...

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 anal...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 o...

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 educ...

In this episode, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook, takes us into the origins of a collector’s heart and discusses some of the many reasons that collectors start collecting. That is, what was the trigger to it all? Using the collecting of dolls as one example, he takes his experiences at Theriault’s, and meeting collectors around the world over several decades, to unpack these recollectio...

Sure, this title is a bit of fun click bait that is seemingly absurd. Or is it? In this episode Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook explores the value equation between the heart and mind. That is, how collectors personally connect to certain objects is far more powerful than perceived values. Why do some items at auctions soar above thought of values or estimates? What was behind the thinki...

Stuart Holbrook has spent 38 years on the podium at Theriault’s guiding auctions of some of the world’s most unique collections. A few of these stand out in his  memory and not always because they were the biggest. Sometimes because of a special moment - or even surprising events leading up to the auction that made the sale all that more memorable. In one case it’s due to a complete failure! This...

Tariffs have dominated much of the news for months now. But how does it affect collecting antiques? What do collectors need to know about the costs and how it relates to them? In this episode Stuart Holbrook, the President of Theriault's, takes us down the rabbit hole of explaining not just tariffs, but VAT, Import taxes, and sales taxes - how they work across the world depending on where you...

Every great collector brings their own experiences to their passion in how they build, connect, and engage a hobby. Each is unique. Few collectors have had more influence or inspired more collectors of dolls than Gail Cook. Her 45 years in the hobby has seen generational shifts in the way people buy, determine value, display and engage in the joy of collecting.  With that, Theriault's Preside...