Doll News Winter 2019 - 148

The covers of the Theriault Auctions are collector quality, offering rare and extraordinary examples to collectors.

good-bye to the magnificent Shirley Temple. After he left,
he wondered what in the world he had done - he figured
he was out of the running. However, after some time, he
received the phone call saying, "it was his and that the
other companies had not put the love into it that Stuart
had." For him, this was a high point in his life and a
physical example of his love.
Stuart shared so many intriguing stories with us and
the sparkle never left his eyes. He is definitely a "people"
person and enjoys visiting and sharing these quirky and
quaint stories with the doll clubs around the world. When
he came to the San Antonio Doll Club, he had just flown
in from looking at a collection in Brazil and was leaving
the next day to visit St. Louis, then on to Vancouver and
Los Angeles. He says that "staying in the office for two
weeks in a row would drive him crazy." One time when his
daughter was five years old, she asked, "Daddy, where do
you live?"
Stuart has been privileged to handle some of the most
precious dolls in the world, many bringing six figures
before the hammer was silenced. He loves the people and
the experience.
The most expensive doll Theriault's has ever auctioned
was just this year - a rare French poupée by Antoine
Edmond Rochard. Standing thirty-inches tall with cobalt
blue eyes, her astonishing feature is in her shoulder
plate, decorated with a splendidly painted gold necklace
comprised of an elaborate gold chain, with interspersed
gilt circles serving as frames for the miniature glass-domed
Stanhope images of Paris within. "She sold for $333,500
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WINTER 2019

and even made the February 21st, 2018 edition of the New
York Times. Ah, the joy of seeing this in person!"

The Future

tuart remarked about how we need to keep doll market
exposed, because most collectors start in their fifties. He
talked about how younger collectors are popping up all the
time because they are looking for a connection to the past
and have discovered antiques. Perceptively, he believes
that the 'Millennials' will not be part of physical doll clubs
but will more likely connect with others via digital groups,
chat groups and online clubs.

Stuart's Conclusion

ou always remember your beginning in the search for
the perfect doll. Is it the doll itself or is it just the hunt?
Or is it the friends you gather on the way? You always
keep the memory of the "one who got away" in the back
of your mind. If you have all the dolls you want, the joy of
collecting is gone, however the adventures along the way
add to the joy of the 'find'."
Attendees found Stuart to be engaging and a great
storyteller, expanding our knowledge in a delightful way.
We will always remember that dolls carry the spirit of
the owner, that just a few people can drive a market, that
they all have their stories and to be proud of being a doll
collector and keep up the 'hunt,' and that you can find
treasure anywhere! Many have attended auctions and
others said they were hoping to do so in the future - we
also want to have Stuart come visit again.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Doll News Winter 2019