Embark on A Journey of Nostalgia

James Anthony Bailey, a Decatur, Georgia, resident, is the creator of a unique genre he calls “narrative art through exhibition.” His philosophy is simple: “I don’t want to do anything that doesn’t flow with who I am,” he says. This guiding principle led him to establish JB & Larry’s Vintage Toys and Teddy Bears, a project born from a deeply personal experience.

The museum’s origins trace back to Bailey’s role as a caregiver for his brother, Larry, who was nonverbal. To bring joy and create a connection, Bailey began collecting stuffed animals for him. “When I started mixing my collection with his, so every month or so we’d have a new look, [if] there was a stuffed animal he liked—or one that I thought he might like—I would buy it for him and bring it home,” he recalls.

The collection grew so large that they started giving the toys away for birthdays and special occasions. This sparked the idea for a museum. “That’s when I said, ‘You know, we’re gonna have a museum,’” Bailey says.