Spring 2026

A visit to the Carmel Doll Shop and Grovian Museum in Pacific Grove is a magical experience. A sense of wonderment is evoked by the incred- ibly captivating displays of antique dolls, toys and accessories found in the beautifully restored Angwin building on Forest Avenue. Rarities abound in the collection that Michael Canadas and David Robinson—two of the most charm- ing and engaging men you’ll ever meet—have amassed over decades of doing business. Founded in 1989 in Carmel-by-the-Sea, the busi- ness attracts collectors the world over. A pair with a long history by the bay, both Canadas and Robinson enjoyed imaginative childhoods on the Monterey Peninsula. A native of Carmel Valley, Canadas attended Tularcitos School and Carmel High. His mother was the proprietor of Charlyne’s Eggs andThings, a pop- ular restaurant in Mid Valley where he spent much of his time as a youngster. Robinson moved to the peninsula from Illinois as a child and attendedThomas O. Larkin Elementary and Monterey High.The two met as young men and soon found they shared an interest in antiques. Together they attended auctions at La Porte’s in New Monterey, buying antique furniture which Robinson had a knack for restoring. After selling pieces through a friend’s antique store in Salinas, the two decided to hang out their own shingle and opened an antique store on Lighthouse Avenue in New Monterey in 1985. The shop carried a variety of antiques, including an assortment of dolls. In 1989, they moved to Carmel, taking over an existing doll shop where their offerings expanded to include a doll and 140 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 An incredibly fine selection of French dolls can be found at Carmel Doll Shop in Pacific Grove. These beautiful, flawless and perfectly dressed children represent the golden age of doll making in France, which took place between 1875-1890. Photo: Samantha Lewis