Unpacking a Life in Miniature: The Lucy Ungerman Seiler Collection

My latest collection comes from the estate of Lucy Ungerman Seiler, a woman whose life was defined by creativity, curiosity, and an enduring love for small-scale worlds. From an early age, Lucy found joy in making things by hand—knitting, crafting, and most notably collecting and building miniatures, dollhouses and room boxes filled with thoughtfully chosen furniture, fixtures, and objects that reflected her eye for detail and her generous spirit.

Lucy wasn’t just a collector—she was a talented maker and a seeker. She delighted in flea markets and unexpected finds, gravitating toward pieces that felt charming, unusual, or meaningful. Her love of miniatures extended beyond her own enjoyment; many of her handmade creations were donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities, where her work brought comfort and delight to families when it was needed most.

As I carefully unpack and share pieces from Lucy’s collection, each one a quiet reflection of her taste, her patience, and her joy in creating beauty in small scale. This estate is not simply an assortment of miniatures, but a glimpse into a life lived with imagination, generosity, and care. I'm privileged to be working with Lucy's family to help find new adoring homes for her treasures.

This is a very large, and one of the most diverse collections I've ever worked on, spanning across multiple categories, genres and scales. It includes carefully curated artisan and quality-crafted commercial miniatures in addition to delightful miniatures made by Lucy herself while attending countless workshops and seminars and a lifetime of learning from some of the most noted instructors in the miniatures world. This assortment will appeal to collectors across the spectrum of interests and tastes and I hope will inspire and move some of you in new directions!

Some of the categories this extensive collection covers includes:

• Fine Scale Furniture (Lynn Whisenant, Nic Nicols, Uncle Ciggies, Kari Bloom)

• Vintage Bespaq/JBM Miniatures

• Decorative Accessories (Pottery, Porcelain, Paintings)

• Food, Kitchen + Bakery (Ann Ceasar)

• Whimsical Hand Painted Furniture (Karen Markland, )

• Fine Flowers, Plants & Garden

• Art Dolls, Character Dolls & Artisan Toys (Bactrom, Krueger, Strauss)

• Structures, Dollhouses & Room Boxes (Bluette)

• Animals (Cats, Birds, Dogs)

• Small Scale (Half Scale + 1/144)

• Chandeliers, Sconces, Period Lights (J. Getzan, Rose)

• Themed Lots (Gentleman Study, Ladies Boudoir, Southwest, Asian-Inspired)

Here are just a small sampling of some of Lucy's extensive collection of miniatures:

Working with a collection like this really gives a glimpse of who Lucy was and how she interacted with miniatures. She loved them. She liked what she liked. She had no retrictions. She tucked away each and every tiny object, scrap of material, paint color or box or container, knowing she would one day make use of it. She had countless projects completed and just as many underway. She truly lived a wonderful life with her miniatures. I am fortunate to be close to her collection so I can to get feel like I know a bit more about this wonderful miniaturist!

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