Stuart Holbrook, president of Theriault’s Auction house, has made a welcome return to Vienna, Austria. A year ago Stuart joined Host Louisa Maxwell for the first Doll Podcast and here they are, one year on, enjoying coffee and delicious Viennese cake while talking about one of their favourite topics, dolls.

Stuart has a years worth of adventures to cover, so this episode comes in two parts: Part One Thursday October 14th and Part Two out a week later so be sure to subscribe at Apple Podcasts, I heart Radio or where ever you find you podcasts to get the whole story.

Stuart is well known for travelling the world in pursuit of rare antique dolls and childhood playthings. During 2020 Covid clipped his wings but, as soon as it was safe, he took to the road in the USA to meet doll lovers and unearth treasures. One of the most remarkable discoveries was an English wooden doll and her trousseau dating from the eighteenth century. She achieved a record price of almost $300,000 at Theriault’s in May 2021.

In Part One of our conversation - Stuart fills us in on collector trends and how the demand for dolls rose to new highs in 2020. Covid kept collectors at home but, in these uncertain times, we are reassured by the fact that collectors around the world can meet a through online events, auctions, social media and of course - The Doll Podcast - to share our love of dolls, their place in history and of course our hearts.