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 thinking of those collectors? Stuart takes us down the road of his 38 years of auctioning to better understa...
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 episode of The Curious Collector is a journey through Stuart’s memory bank of those auctions...
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 collect from. It’s a complex discussion which culminates with the reality that cultural items of age ...
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 President Stuart Holbrook takes us on a journey through some of the unique ways that Gail’s vision broug...
Collecting is full of opportunities. Many of these opportunities arise as “pockets of moments” in which you can jump in on certain categories that were once hot but are suddenly not. These are the ebbs and flows that every market displays. And by learning to track these movements, collectors have chances to add exceptional examples before that category inevitably rises again. In this episode of The Curious Collector, Stuart Holbrook, President of Theriault’s, helps us understand the whys of m...
Everyone has a Covid story - at least one and probably many of them. In this new episode of The Curious Collector, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook shares his experiences at Theriault’s as to how the worldwide pandemic not only affected his own journey through managing an auction house, but how collectors adapted to these changes and were ultimately affected long term in the way they collect. He also talks about how the Covid period of 2020-2022 created one of the greatest surges in enga...
The Barry Art Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, founded by Carolyn and Richard Barry, serves as a beacon across the world in showcasing dolls in an extraordinary setting. That is, an art museum. Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook says this is a rare and unique opportunity for the narrative of dolls as an art form to be received by the general public. For too long dolls have been cast into the hinterlands of the art world. The Barry, driven by the vision of Carolyn Barry’s passion for the subjec...
Every collector reaches a moment of inflection within their collecting life. Keep collecting? Stop Collecting? The goal, of course, is to never waver. The happy life of a collector is one that should be structured and built with the future in mind to last a lifetime. That is going all the way to the end with the petal to the metal and a joyful smile. In this episode of The Curious Collector, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook talks about why collector’s stop collecting early, why the...
Collectors walk many paths in life. Some are single, some in partnerships, and, of course, many are married. In this episode Stuart Holbrook, President of Theriaults, takes us on a journey through stories and experiences gained through his years of working with couples who collect together (and often apart) and the unique conversations he has witnessed from both sides of the spectrum. It’s a sometimes funny but poignant look at his over three decades with Theriault’s from which he offers a bi...
For over 25 years, Bill Greening’s unique designs and fashions brought Barbie into the new millennium. From Play to Collector lines, his passionate work helped shape the world’s most famous doll for new generations. Known by every Barbie collector, not just because of his designs, but also his passion as a collector himself, he has embraced every facet of the Barbie world and been supportive of collectors around the world as well as at shows and conventions. In Part Two of this conversation w...
For over 25 years Bill Greening’s unique designs and fashion brought Barbie into the new millennium. From Play to Collector lines, his passionate work has helped shape the world’s most famous doll for new generations. Known by every Barbie collector, not just because of his designs, but also his passion as a collector himself, he has embraced every facet of the Barbie world and been supportive of collectors around the world and at shows and conventions. In this first of two episodes chatting ...
In this new episode of The Curious Collector, Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook delves into the future of collecting to identify potential upcoming trends and what the emerging generations will think about the protection of objects past. There are some surprising predictions that will hopefully be reassuring to today's collectors that the items they passionately gather today will continue to be appreciated and protected well into the future. Keep up with Stuart at curiouscollect.com...
Theriaut's President Stuart Holbrook chats with Florence Theriault in this deeply personal and candid look at her 55 year career in auctions, dolls and collecting. Spanning the early 1970’s until today this three-part Podcast allows Florence to recount with humor and sentiment the rise of Theriault’s from its humble beginnings along with the stories, characters and adventures that she's experienced along the way. While a beloved figure in the world of dolls, we see a human side of Flore...
Theriaut's President Stuart Holbrook chats with Florence Theriault in this deeply personal and candid look at her 55 year career in auctions, dolls and collecting. Spanning the early 1970’s until today this three-part Podcast allows Florence to recount with humor and sentiment the rise of Theriault’s from its humble beginnings along with the stories, characters and adventures that she's experienced along the way. While a beloved figure in the world of dolls, we see a human side of Flore...
Theriaut's President Stuart Holbrook chats with Florence Theriault in this deeply personal and candid look at her 55 year career in auctions, dolls and collecting. Spanning the early 1970’s until today this three-part Podcast allows Florence to recount with humor and sentiment the rise of Theriault’s from its humble beginnings along with the stories, characters and adventures that she's experienced along the way. While a beloved figure in the world of dolls, we see a human side of Flore...
The Love Shirley Temple auction was an event that became one of the defining moments of Theriault President Stuart Holbrook’s career in showcasing the entire childhood of one of America’s great icons of the 20th century. All through the treasures that Shirley Temple personally preserved for decades. In Part Two of this journey with Shirley, Stuart takes us from the conclusion of months of exhibits towards that final day in Kansas City in July of 2015. It was here that the world would se...
The Love, Shirley Temple auction was an event that became one of the defining moments of Theriaults' President Stuart Holbrook’s career in showcasing the entire childhood of one of America’s greatest icons of the 20th century. All through the treasures that Shirley Temple personally preserved for decades. In this episode of The Curious Collector, Stuart takes you on a journey from the first time meeting the family of Shirley Temple through to the exhibits that traveled acrossed America ...
In this episode, Theriault's President, Stuart Holbrook takes us on a journey through doll history to share some of the oddest creations doll makers ever designed. As well, discussing the world of patents and how the scramble for the “next big thing” led to some very curious results. From the Bebe Bru Gourmand to the Ondine Swimming Doll, history has certainly provided some fun examples to reflect on. But not all were commercial failures. Stuart also ponders the why of how some of these, like...
A full life of collecting should involve numerous twists and turns. You start in one place with a few steps forward. Yet as you journey through this grand adventure you will find many back roads and detours to explore. Take them. Theriault's President Stuart Holbrook offers collectors not a map this time, but an encouragement to throw the map away and discover new aspects within collecting that you may randomly stumble on along the way. While doll collectors may start on one subject, the happ...
Stuart Holbrook has spent a majority of his life on the podium watching and conducting auctions as President of Theriault’s. With that, he has developed insider thoughts on the different type of bidders, how they fare in relation to their style, and interesting takeaways as to the success of each. As well, to showcase how online bidding is creating an entirely new strategy and approach as collectors more and more bid from home. He shares humorous auction anecdotes along the way that frame thi...