The company quickly outgrew its space in the Lowenthal home, and the couple moved operations to an old Sunday school on the same street. The merlino-wool teddy bear was a hit, and Boyds was on its way to becoming a leader in the collectibles industry. Around the same time, the Lowenthals' created their first plush teddy bear, which they named Matthew after their newborn son. These 'Gnomes Homes' were a combination of American architecture and Gary Lowenthal's imagination. In 1984, the Lowenthals produced their first resin sculptures of minutely detailed miniature houses. Gary, who designed the ducks, later estimated that they painted about 40,000 ducks altogether. Word of the beautiful ducks spread quickly, and the Lowenthals began filling orders for three dozen ducks a day. The decoys were hand-painted and available in many different sizes and styles, including a nine-inch teal and a giant three-foot whistling swan.

The couple next started buying and selling antique reproductions, which were much more affordable than antiques.īy 1982, the Lowenthals began to wholesale some of their own reproductions, including their very successful duck decoys. They later moved on to other ventures, such as the making of decorative dried wreaths and split oak tables, neither of which proved profitable. However, the Lowenthals found the antique business expensive and confining. originated in 1979 when Bloomingdale managers Gary (G.M.) and Justina (Tina) Lowenthal left their jobs and moved to Boyds, Maryland, to open a small antique shop out of their 'semi-restored' Victorian home. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) owns 56 percent of Boyds.īoyds Collection, Ltd. Moreover, Boyds selectively licenses its images for example, its popular Bearstones® images are licensed to Sunrise Stationery, a division of Hallmark Cards, for use on paper products.

Boyds' success is attributed in part to its niche distribution Boyds sells its products through a network of 23,000 independent gift and collectible retailers, premier department stores, selected catalogue retailers, and televised QVC showcases. Each resin piece, retailing anywhere from $9 to $60 apiece, is inscribed with a hidden bear paw-a symbol of authenticity-while the bottom of each piece is stamped with the name, edition, and piece number. Each animal is stuffed and embroidered by hand.īoyds' three major resin products are marketed under the names Bearstones, Folkstones, and Dollstones, figurine lines that include small resin bears-similar in look to the plush animals-resin angels, faeries, and snowpeople, and resin dolls, frogs, and penguins. Once Lowenthal creates a pattern and prototype, the animals are taken to a seamstress in China, who produces a working model. The company's founder and CEO, Gary Lowenthal, designs each of the plush animals along with a team of artists. Most Boyds animals are fully jointed with movable arms, legs, and heads, and their outer coverings are fashioned from a variety of fabrics, ranging from acrylic plush to custom-dyed chenille wool. Boyds products are generally recognized for their quality craftsmanship, low prices, and designs characterized as 'Folksy with Attitude.' The company offers 430 different plush animals, which range in price from $4 to $95 each.

While Boyds is perhaps best known for its lines of plush bears and resin figurines, the company also offers such gift items as glass ornaments and doll accessories. is a leading American designer, importer, and distributor of handcrafted collectibles.

Boyds bears hand blown glass