For 20 years, David Dicket, senior music major of Thibodaux, collected Wizard of Oz items, which he displays for the public.

Dicket has a display at the Thibodaux Library, which began on Aug. 1 and will continue to be displayed until December. This display features items from 75 years of Oz, items from Baum’s Oz books, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) memorabilia, Disney films: Return to Oz and Oz the Great and Powerful, smaller Oz films: Muppets, Sci-Fi, Legends, Journey Back and The Wiz. The display also shows the earlier items of his collection: the Dorothy doll, handmade dolls from his home movies, an Oz t-shirt, board game and a portrait made by his dad.

In 2014, Dicket displayed his collection in New York at an Oz Club Convention. He was asked by Oz-Stravaganza Festival co-director, Barbara Evens, a month before the event. This display featured 46 Tonner dolls. Dicket was also able to meet Robert Tonner at the official Tonner Store in Kingston.

Also, his collection was displayed in East Baton Rouge in 2013. He displayed at Bluebonnet Library and at Eden Park Library from June 1, 2013, to July 31, 2013. Jane Albright, board of directors member for the International Wizard of Oz Club (IWOC), sent Dicket a message about an estate sale. The owner had over 30 Oz books, being a long time collector of Oz books and a member of IWOC.

In 2012, NSU’s Library displayed his collection from May 1 to Aug. 26. Albright was the one who offered Dicket an opportunity to display his collection.

“I had no idea of the worth of the lot until I contacted Jane thanking her for giving me the message,” Dicket said.

Dicket’s first display was at the Terrebonne Main Library from May 24, 2011 to September 30, 2011. His display was also featured at Terrebonne North Branch Library from October 1, 2011 to February 11, 2012. This was the year Dicket joined IWOC.

Dicket started collecting in 1994 after he was given a Dorothy doll from the movie Journey Back to Oz. His grandmother had given him the doll and had many Oz books.
His grandmother told him to read the books because they are always better than the movies.

His grandmother inspired him to respect things. He cared for his collection in the way she taught him to treat older items, so that others could enjoy them. She also told him about IWOC.
In 1995, Dicket and his sister started filming home movies using his sister’s dolls. The movies were reenactments of Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz. Then they wrote and filmed their own Oz stories using the dolls. This is where his interest in Oz dolls came from. His first set of Oz dolls were gifted to him by his aunt.

“One of the things that had been neat about sharing the collection is that I never realized that people would want to see it,” Dicket said.