"Discovery, Desire, Possession"

A direct quote from Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory," but it would make a great title for a Theriault's auction. The next Monday night auction is August 11th, and as usual, the selection is amazing. I may bid myself! As Marilyn Gelfman Karp might say, it is the thirll of the hunt which keeps us collecting. For me, it is the sheer diversity of dolls, the people I meet, and the unlimited amount of things to learn. The greatest collections are the most eclectic, or so I've believed. When Anne Rice collected, I thought it was great that she had everything from Bru to hard plastic, souvenir Native American dolls by Carlson Dolls and similar companies. She had everything from artist dolls, good reproductions, a life sized Pumpkin Head from a horror flick literally everything. When I was 10, I received a copy of Mary Merrit Darrah's "All Color Book of Dolls," which was a photo study of her museum. Much alter, I was able to buy one of the dolls featured in the book, Emma Clear's Pink Scarf doll, as well as several others. She included creche dolls, salesman samples, folk dolls, early dolls, and many more in her displays. I never got bored looking through her book. Perhaps the Queen of Eclecticism was Lenon Hoyte, Aunt Len of Aunt Len's Doll Museum. Her house was my dream house, thousands of dolls of all types, rubbing shoulders with each other in every space and alcove. No surface seeme uncovered, and what wonderful dolls they were! Death the marionette who thought of herself as Queen Alexandra, the boy, armless manniken who guarded the stairs, Uneeda vinyl Roly Poly Kids, Milliner's Models, a Black Alice, wax dolls, French dolls, artist dolls, all sorts living in harmony. It is from Aunt Len that I borrowed my own housekeeping for colletors mantra, "clutter is clutter, but a mess is a mess!" Amen, Aunt Len, and God Bless You! Mine is not the most expensive collection, but it is diverse. It's diversity is what most poieple celebrate. As I look around hte living room, I can share some of hte citizens of dolldom who share it with me. Living in harmony wiht my two kittens are a vintage rubber Hummel Little Traveler, a French miignonette, an 8 inch A and M named Melinda,an authentic African mask, life sized bust of Marie Antoinette, a wooden Mexican doll, hand carved, with a wooden mask, Patty Play Pal, several china heads, two Skookums dolls, a case full of tiny Frozen Charlottes, all bisques, pink lustre chinas, mini Day of the Dead figures, miniature dough dolls, a later Lenci, Ideals Crissy, a modern procelain "Walda," several bears, and a mechanicl Santa Claus and a witch are just some of the dolls who live with me. I've seen collections where no doll is under $10.000.00, and I find myself yawning. I know collectors who collect to invest, and know money, but they don't care much for variety or charm. I like coins, too, and even money can be intrestng. Somehow, for them, it isn't. They see dollar signs, not dolls. Others collect trends. Some may have a problem; they don't get that the dolls aren't real. Well, to each is own. However you collect, have fun, and don't be a doll snob.