Thank you for your interest in donating items to The Brick Store Museum's collections. In addition to the information below, we encourage you to view our more comprehensive document addressing frequently-asked questions (see sidebar at right).

Each year, the Museum acquires new artifacts and documents for its collection through the generosity of the general public. These donations have helped us to build our collection and fulfill our mission as the stewards and interpreters of our region’s cultural heritage.

The Brick Store Museum’s collections number approximately 70,000 artifacts and documents, including prints and photographs; costumes and textiles; architectural renderings; sound recordings, films and videotapes; corporate, organizational, institutional and personal archives; paintings and sculpture; household and industrial objects; original manuscripts and documents, including letters and diaries; and a variety of published materials. While The Brick Store Museum primarily collects materials that document the history of the Kennebunks, some collections reflect the broader history of York County and southern Maine.

Offers of items for the collections are reviewed by the museum’s Collection Committee, which is comprised of a diverse group of staff and outside experts knowledgeable about The Brick Store Museum’s current holdings. The Collections Committee uses the criteria specified in The Brick Store Museum’s Collections Policy as a guide, but it also considers proposed donations with respect to their condition, duplication in the current collections, and the resources available to properly store and care for them. The sensitive nature of materials or ownership of copyrights may also factor into acquisitions decisions.

The Brick Store Museum does not provide appraisals on the monetary value of materials proposed for donation or for any other reason, because the Internal Revenue Service regards museums and libraries as interested parties. Such monetary appraisals would be subject to question or disqualification. However, professional appraisers do perform this service for a fee.