EYE OF THE COLLECTOR
Collector bios
Nancy and Randy Best
For Randy and Nancy Best, their renowned collection began with a honeymoon trip to China in 1976. The newly married Bests found themselves in a Chinese warehouse stacked floor-to-ceiling with antiques. They bought a porcelain oil jug on the spot and haven’t stopped collecting since.
For more than 40 years, the Bests have traveled the world building a diverse collection of art, fossils and ancient artifacts spanning thousands of years. Every piece tells a story – of their past adventures and the friendships they’ve made along the way.
Bob Bragalone
Bob Bragalone has been one of the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest fans since they won their first Super Bowl in 1972. Growing up, if it had “Dallas Cowboys” on it, he collected it. As he got older, his love for the Cowboys only grew stronger – and his collection grew with it.
Now, Bob is the proud owner of The Cowboys Shrine – the largest ever collection of Dallas Cowboys memorabilia. Although there’s certainly a monetary value associated with his collectibles, for Bob, each piece brings back fond memories from his childhood when life was carefree and the Cowboys were perennial winners.
Ronald Gard
Ronald Gard has two passions: nature and collecting. As a young boy, he collected anything he could get his hands on, from dog photos and birds’ nests to Native American arrowheads.
In 1975, Ron’s two passions came together with a fateful visit to a Dallas guns and antiques show. It was there that Ron fell head over heels for his first antique duck decoy. Since that time, Ron has become an expert in the field, even writing a book to help other collectors. But more treasured than even his collection itself are the friends he’s made along the way.
Debbie Garrett
Debbie Garrett loved playing with dolls when she was a little girl, but the dolls from her childhood didn’t look like her. When she became a mother, she wanted to surround her daughter with dolls that reflected her heritage and taught her to love her culture.
In 1991, Debbie ordered a black doll from a catalog as a gift for her daughter’s 13th birthday. When the delicate porcelain doll arrived, she decided to keep it for herself. Now, more than two decades later, Debbie’s black doll collection provides a unique window into our history with dolls dating from the mid-1800s to modern day.
Carla Hartman
For Carla Hartman, design is in her blood. As the granddaughter of Charles and Ray Eames – designers of the renowned Eames lounge chair, now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York – she grew up surrounded by beautiful man-made objects.
Her love of interesting and beautiful things inspired her to collect as an adult. Although she has several collections ranging from Alessi platters to Japanese Kokeshi dolls, her largest by far is her collection of Pez dispensers. The whimsical, colorful figures connect her to her past, her family and her love of design.
Anita Martinez
Anita Martinez is a fifth-generation Texan and Mexican-American who was raised in Dallas, Texas. In 1969 she became the first female Mexican-American elected to the Dallas City Council, where she served as a councilmember for four years. When she noticed low self-esteem among Hispanic youth, Anita created the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico company (ANMBF), which provides the education of Mexican roots through music, dance and history. Her collections of traditional ballet folklorico dresses show the riches and passion of the Hispanic culture.
Scott McCaskey
For as long as Scott McCaskey can remember, he’s had a passion for bicycles. As a kid, Scott collected Stingray bicycles. He’d buy them, fix them up, sell them, and then start all over again.
In the mid-1980s, Scott started collecting vintage bicycles and now has a collection of hundreds of bicycles dating from the 1880s to the 1960s – in addition to antique bicycle dealer signs and advertising. Scott even made bicycles his career. He got his first job at a bicycle shop when he was just 14 years old, proving the adage that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Deedie Rose
A pillar of the Dallas art community, Deedie Rose didn’t consciously set out to become a collector of studio artists’ jewelry. It all began when she was captivated by two pieces of contemporary jewelry in the Metropolis Magazine. She tracked down the artist and has been adding to her collection ever since.
Deedie’s eclectic collection of jewelry isn’t crafted of precious metals. It doesn’t boast precious gemstones. For Deedie, the value of each piece comes not from its materials, but from its ability to surprise, delight and encourage people to think in new ways.
Steve Sansweet
Steve Sansweet was a former Wall Street journalist who turned his passion for all things Star Wars into a full-time career. His collection boasts over 350,000 Star Wars pieces, gaining him the Guinness World Record title of having the world’s largest Star Wars memorabilia collection. Steve is the president and CEO of Rancho Obi-Wan, Inc., a non-profit corporation that uses his collection to educate, serve and inspire communities.