Decor – Setting up a Boyds Bear Village display

In two previous posts I discussed the many wonderful pieces of my Boyds Bear collection that I started in the 1980s.  Throughout the years I have collected Boyds stuffed animals, whimsical figurines and picture frames.  The main portion of my Boyds Bear collection is displayed in the library of our home in a lovely oak glass-front lawyer cabinet.  These items are displayed year-round in the cabinet and I also add additional seasonal holiday themed figurines.  (If you would like to see more of this collection, please click on the following links:  Displaying a Boyds Bear Collection Part One and Two)

The focus of this post will be the setting up a Boyds Bear Village Display and will included step-by-step instructions of how I set up the display.  In addition, I will show how I change or add special seasonal items to the display for the various holidays.  The Boyds Bear Village display is set-up on the bottom shelf of my Boyds Bear cabinet with several of the charming Boyds Bear Village houses that remain in place throughout the entire year.  The Boyds Bear Village house are: “Edmund’s Hideaway”, “Grenville and Beatrice’s Homestead”, “Emily’s Carrot Cottage”, and “Bailey’s Cozy Cottage”.

Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos of how I set up the display:

First, I lined the bottom shelf with newspaper and then placed two large bricks to add height to the display.  The newspapers were used to prevent the bricks from scratching the oak bookcase.  Next, I placed two smaller bricks to create more height in the center of the top section of the display.  I also used two large rocks on either side of the display to create more texture and visual interest.

Boyds Bear Village set-up 1Then, I placed the four Boyds houses, leaving space in the middle for additional accessories.  On the lower section of the display, I placed a piece of artificial grass.  To hide some of the brick, I used four sections of stone walls and added small rocks.  On the top section of the display, I used a three piece section of fencing between the two houses.

Boyds Bear Village set-up 2Next, I placed several trees around the display.  Special Note:  I have several sets of seasonal trees for the different holidays.  Such as full green trees for summer/spring, bare-branch and golden brown trees for fall and pine trees for winter.

Boyds Bear Village set-up 3To hide the base of the trees, the spaces behind the wall on the lower section and behind the fence on the top section and also to fill the other empty areas of the display I used Spanish moss.

Boyds Bear Village set-up 4Finally, I place some of the Boyds Bear Village bear/hare figurines around the display.  Special Note: I have several different sets of small seasonal figurines that I add or remove during the different seasons and holidays.

Boyds Bear Village set-up 5

Below are several photos taken of the Boyds Bear Village display throughout the year for the various seasons with a description of the items that I add or remove depending on the holidays.  Some of these additional items are from the Boyds Bears product line, I also use some Department 56 items and other items were purchased at local craft stores.  Every year I try to change or add to the seasonal displays!  Craft Tip: Keep an eye out during the various holidays throughout the year for miniature decorative accents; also check the dollhouse section in the craft stores for more miniature items to add to a display.

Valentine’s Day

Sometime near the end of January, I will remove some of the winter accessories, such as the Christmas figurines and pine trees leaving only the bare-branch trees.  Then, in my local craft store I found miniature pink and red hearts that I sprinkle on the grass area of the display for Valentine’s Day.  (Next year, I’m thinking of adding more small hearts to the bare-branch trees for an extra special touch)

2012 Valentine's Day Boyd's Bear Village2012 Valentine's Day Boyd's Bear Village closeup

Spring/Summer

Usually in March, I will remove the bare-branch trees and will replace them with a set of full green trees.  Next, in the railroad model section of my local craft store I found miniature white, pink and yellow tulips which I added to the top and bottom sections of the display inserting them into the Spanish moss so they would remain upright.  To complete the Spring/Summer display I placed several of the Boyds Bear Village small figurines.

2013 Spring Boyd's Town2013 Spring Boyd's Town closeup 1

Fall – Halloween & Thanksgiving

In mid-October, I will remove all the Spring/Summer accessories.  Then, I will replace the Spring/Summer trees with several bare-branch and golden brown trees for a more seasonal autumn look.  Next, for Halloween I will add several “trick or treaters” figurines, a pumpkin patch figurine and several miniature pumpkins to display.  As a final touch, I will add a “harvest moon” in the right corner of the display.  For Thanksgiving, I will remove the Halloween figurines and on the left side I will add a figurine of two small turkeys.  Last year, I could find the right accessories to add to the Fall display so I made sunflowers from small buttons that I found in my local craft store.  I added small twigs, which I attached through the button hooks on the back and glued small leaves onto the twigs and placed them near the rock wall on the lower section.  I also added small corn stalks near the fence on the top section.

2012 Halloween Boyd's Bear Village

2012 Fall  Boyd's Bear Village closeup 1    2012 Fall  Boyd's Bear Village closeup 2
2013 Fall Boyd's Town closeup 1    2013 Fall Boyd's Town closeup 2

Winter – Christmas

At the beginning of December, I remove all of the Fall figurines and replace the Fall Trees with snow covered pine trees for a winter look.  Next, I add a small Santa bear and several snowmen figurines.  I also add several tiny lamp posts accented with Christmas wreaths and place them near each of the Boyds Bear Village house.  To finish the display I sprinkle several miniature snowflakes which I found in my local craft store.

2012 Christmas Boyd's Bear Village 1

So, I hope you enjoyed seeing how I set up my Boyds Bear Village and also how I accessorize the display throughout the year!

 

Decor – Adding Personality to a Home

Many years ago I envisioned my home as a place filled with family photographs, travel mementos, a collection of interesting books and other various decorative items that would bring a smile to my face … and that is exactly how I would describe the home that I live in today with my family.

My approach to adding personality to a room is displaying interesting pieces and decorative items throughout a home that have special meaning to our family so that when guests visit these items will tell a story of our life or convey our personal interests and this can be a wonderful starting point for conversations.  Decorating a home with family photos and memorabilia are wonderful ways to remember the people and important events that hold special memories in our lives and they are an important way to surround ourselves with family love and heritage.  Displaying decorative items gathered throughout the years, such as travel souvenirs or themed collectibles also convey our interests and hobbies.  So, let me get started with some ideas and suggestions for adding personality to your home!

Family photos

Decorating with family photos is a perfect opportunity to add our family’s character and personality into a room.  Every year, just before my children’s birthday, I always schedule an appointment at the portrait studio at our local department store.  These formal portraits are displayed throughout our house; some are in the bookshelf in our family room, the upstairs hallway and in our daughter’s bedroom.  It is a wonderful way to show how our children have grown and changed over the years!

In a bookshelf to the left of our family room fireplace are a collection of family photos.  As mention, some of the photos are our children’s formal portraits but others include old family photos such as childhood photos of me and my husband and also my parent’s wedding portrait.  Other family photos are more informal and were taken at family events over the years.  I love the fact that when guests come to visit they are able to see in one place in our home photos of all of our family members taken at various times in our lives.

Displayed in another room of our house, in our master bedroom are formal wedding portraits of my husband and I and these are displayed on the dresser along with childhood photos of the both of us.  I really like the idea of displaying the childhood photos and our wedding photos together because there is such a lovely contrast of the past and it is fun to see how we looked when we were younger!

As you can see, I like to surround ourselves with photos taken over the years but not all of them need to be formal portraits.  Examples of this are the informal photos taken on family vacations and trips that are displayed in the bookshelves of our home library.  Our family loves to travel to places such as national parks or historic sites but we also enjoy getting out into nature by hiking or fishing. Looking at these photos always brings back wonderful memories of fun times and interesting places spent together as a family.

For more information about displaying family photos, please check out the following post, Not Your Normal Wall Art!

Family memorabilia

Over the years I have collected several items that can be classified as family memorabilia.  The idea for displaying these pieces throughout our home is to remember special events or important times in our lives.  Here are a few examples:

Displayed in the upstairs hallway of our home is a large wedding portrait with the date of our marriage inscribed on a small gold plaque and on the mat surrounding the portrait are the signatures of our wedding guests.  To the left of this piece is another series of four photos taken on our wedding day with our families.  These two sentimental pieces commemorate that special day at the start of our lives together as husband and wife.

Two more family memorabilia pieces displayed in our home are hung on the wall above the bed in my daughter’s room.  The two framed pieces commemorate her baptism and her first birthday, two important events in her childhood.  Using an uncut mat board and some special scrapbook paper that was signed by the guests that were in attendance at those two events and then later framed in matching golden frames I created these two pieces that will hopefully be something my daughter will treasure forever as a unique childhood heirloom.

Sometimes other important influences in our lives are the places we have lived.  In the dining room of our home I have displayed two framed pieces of sheet music.  The first one is “My Kind of Town” as sung by Frank Sinatra which is often referred to as the “Chicago” song.  Chicago is a special place in my family history because my mother was born there and my parents met, married and lived there before moving to California.  The other framed sheet music is of the song “San Fernando Valley” as sung by Bing Crosby.  This is another important place to me because that is where I was born and raised and I have very fond memories of living there as a child.

For more information about displaying family memorabilia commemorating special events, please check out the following post, Not Your Normal Wall Art!

Travel Souvenirs

Our family enjoys traveling across the United States and we also have traveled to different parts of Europe to see family and friends and my husband has visited parts of Asia while he was getting his master’s degree.  All of these travel experiences have provided us with interesting opportunities to learn about our country and the world and we have thoroughly enjoyed our time together as a family visiting these places.

During these travels we have collected various items and these are displayed in the library of our home.  The bookcases are filled with interesting souvenirs, such as a weapon made from sharks teeth purchased at the Polynesian Culture Center in Hawaii, Polish dolls and a city certificate commemorating our visit to Krakow in Poland, a piece of the Berlin Wall and framed Edelweiss from a trip to Germany, two jade lions displayed with a photo from my husband’s visit to Asia and a photo of our family taken at the Kennedy Space Center displayed with a model of the Space Shuttle.  All these unusual items are displayed as reminders of wonderful trip that we have taken over the years and are also great way to start interesting conversations with guests visiting our home.

The other parts of the bookshelves are also filled with rocks, minerals and fossils that my husband has collected over the years.  This interesting hobby is highlighted in a post that he wrote recently called “The Rock Guy”.  Please click on the link to check out how he started his collection and information about the different items.

On the opposite wall in the library is another bookshelf filled with beach memorabilia that I have collected throughout the years.  Living in California our family has spent many wonderful hours at the beach walking along the shore, playing in the sand and watching the waves and some very beautiful sunsets over the Pacific Ocean.  We have collected many seashells from the beaches of Southern California and on our visits to the east coast in North Carolina and Florida.  These seashells are also displayed with family photos from those trips and decorative pieces that tell the story of our love for the beach and the oceans.

For more information and suggestions on how to display these items, please check out the following posts:  Displaying Travel Souvenirs and Beach Memorabilia

Themed Collectibles

Over the years I have collected several themed items that are displayed throughout our home and reflect my interests and hobbies.  I have several different series of collectible plates that displayed in various rooms, such as Danbury Mint National Park plates that hang above the bookshelves in our library and within the bookshelves are several plates displayed on easels, two collectible nature plates of ducks and wolves and a Native American decorative plate we bought during our southwest travels.  These collectible plates are another reminder of our family travels and our love and respect for nature and animals.  For more information about the other collectible plates displayed in our home, please check out the post Decorating with Plates.

Living in California our family has been going to Disneyland since it opened in 1955 and we have spent many wonderful times together as a family enjoying the “happiest place on earth”.  Over the years I have started a collection of Disney memorabilia including Disneyland items, Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio and Disney princess figurines and these items are displayed in a trio of glass door bookshelves in the basement of our home and reflect our family’s love for all things Disney!  For more information, please check out Disney Memorabilia Collection.

Another special collection displayed in our home is my Boyd’s Bear figurines and stuffed animals.  In the library of our home is an oak bookcase which displays some of my favorite Boyd’s Bear figurines, some of these items are changed seasonally.  Additional holiday Boyd’s Bear items are displayed in other rooms of our home.  My collection of the whimsical Boyd’s Bears items never fails to put a smile on my face and brings joy to my heart!  For more information, please check out the following posts: Displaying a Boyd’s Bear Collection Part One and Part Two.

In conclusion, decorating a home with family photographs, travel mementos, a collection of interesting books and other various decorative items is a wonderful way to reflect a family’s interests and hobbies.  For additional examples about adding decorative pieces that will add personality to a room, please check out the following Décor posts, Framing Small Items and Home Office.  In addition, please check out the Craft Section of this blog for some wonderful projects, such as Embellished Photo Frames.

Decor – Displaying a Boyds Bear Collection (Part 2)

As you might know from reading yesterday’s Décor post, “Decorating with Boyds Bears (Part One)”, I started collecting Boyds Bears back in the 1980s.  Since then my collection has grown to a couple of hundred figurines, plush bears, photo frames, trinket boxes and even Christmas ornaments.  Then, after our daughter was born I started a collection for her which included Boyds resin dollstone figurines, porcelain dolls and stuffed bears.

Before we moved to the Midwest, we had a beautiful home in California.  For every Christmas I would love to decorate our fireplace mantel with a pine garland which I decorated with amber pinecone lights, red berry sprays and more real pinecones.  By this time I had collected over 20 Boyds Bears ornaments with the intent that I would use them on our Christmas tree.  One of the rules of decorating is that when you have a collection of items it is best to display them together for the most visual impact.  So, that is exactly what I did with the Boyds Bears ornaments, instead of using them for the Christmas tree I added them to the pine garland on the fireplace mantel and it think it turned out wonderful!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Christmas fireplace mantel decorations for 2004

Over the years I had collected several more Christmas decorations from the Boyds Bear Company.  I had figurines, photo frames, plush bears and even a moose.  Every Christmas I pull these items for storage and find a place for them in our home.  To keep things looking interesting from year to year, I would display a plush Santa bear on a chair one Christmas and the next year I would place it on a bookshelf.  I would also do this with Christmas figurines and photo frames, one year the item would be in one room and the next year it would be in another part of the house.

2011 Christmas Boyds bear picture frame

Christmas 2011, “Edmund … the night before Christmas” photo frame

2012 Christmas Boyds Bear Santa

 Christmas 2012, “Nickleby S. Claus”

2012 Christmas Boyds figurine

Christmas 2012, “Alexis Bearinsky … the night before Christmas” figurine

One of my favorite Christmas decorations is an antique sled that I picked up on one of our road trips across the country.  I attached a festive red bow to the sled with wires.  Next, I hung an old pair of black ice skates and as a finishing touch I added a Boyds Bear plush moose named “Mortimer Von Hindenmoose”.  This display greets our holiday guests in our entrance hall during the Christmas season every year.

2012 Christmas Boyds Bear - Mortimer Moose

Sometimes the smallest item can hold the most impact in a display.  For the first Christmas after we moved to the Midwest, I set out a small tabletop Christmas tree on the beautiful roll-top desk in our master bedroom.  I decorated it simply with several rusted jingle bells, put a rusted star on top and placed a very small Boyds Bear Santa, called “Nicholas Bearington”, in front of the tree.  Now, that idea inspired me the next year to decorate that same small Christmas tree with some non-Boyds bears that I found in my local craft store; Santa and Mrs. Claus, a couple of bears in snowflake sweaters, a ballerina dressed in a pink tutu, a royal guard and a little white angel bear.

2011 Christmas Boyds Bear Santa    2012 Christmas bear tree

As I mentioned in my previous post yesterday, I have an oak lawyer cabinet with glass doors that holds part of my collection of Boyds Bears figurines, picture frames and Boyds Town houses.  Over the years I have also collected several holiday-themed figurines that I display in this cabinet.  (Please see yesterday’s post for photos of my collection of shoebox bears for Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas)

2013 Valentine's Day figurine

For Valentine’s Day, I display a cute cupid bear called “Valentino Slipshot”

2012 Fourth of July Boyds figurine

For Fourth of July, I display a patriotic bear called “Uncle Elliott”

2012 Easter Boyds Easter bear

In Spring on top of the Boyds Bears cabinet I display a 6” plush Easter bear called “Agatha Snoopstein”, a brown bear dressed in a white bunny suit.

As I mentioned previously, after our daughter was born I started a collection of the resin dollstone figurines to mark the special moments in her life.  These figurines are displayed in the bookshelf in her room.  TIP: When displaying figurines on a shelf, choose accessories that are compatible in the theme, style or color tone of the figurine for the most pleasing displays.  For example, with the ballerina figurine I choose a floral pale pink rose frame and a light brown teddy bear to create a lovely display.

2013 Cassie's Boyds dollstone figurines

On the top shelves, left to right:  “Laura & Jane – the first day of school” and “Emma as Cinderella – magical moments”.  On the second shelves, left to right: “Melissa & Katie – the ballet”, “Teresa & John – the prayer”, “Lisa & Plato – graduation day”.

Finally, here is a great idea for using Boyds figurines in a very unexpected way.  We have all been to weddings where the cake is beautifully decorated and sitting on top is usually some sort of figurine.  I thought this idea was perfect for our daughter’s baptism cake and I used a Boyds figurine as a cake topper.  The cake looks very sweet with the figurine named “Zoe … the Angel of Life” resting on top of a bed of white and pink roses.  For the next important religious event in her young life, her first communion, I decided to decorate the cake with another Boyds figurine, I used a figurine named “Teresa & John … the prayer”.  Then, for our daughter’s 6th ladybug themed birthday party, I used the figurine named “D. Lovebug” which added just the right festive touch to the birthday cake that was decorated with leaves and resin ladybugs that I found in my local craft store.

2000 Cassie's Baptism cake   2009 Cassie's First Communion cake   OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

So, you can have a lot of fun decorating with a Boyds Bears collection in some traditional and even some unusual ways.  I would love to hear your comments about these displays and decorations.  Also, please share how you display a Boyds Bears collection.

Decor – Displaying a Boyds Bears Collection (Part 1)

I started collecting Boyds Bears back in the 1980s.  The first one was a plush brown bear in red overalls called Christopher, which I received as a gift which happens to be the name of my son.  By this time I was now working in a small retail store that sold the Boyds Bears line, and I started collecting the resin bears figurines for special occasions and holidays.  I now have a collection of figurines, plush bears in both small and large sizes, photo frames, and even Christmas ornaments.  When the Boyds Bear Village was released in 2000, I purchased several of these delightful houses and accessories to add to my collection.  But I wasn’t done yet!  After our daughter was born I started a collection of the resin dollstone figurines to mark the special moments in her life, such as the first day of school and her first communion.  Her collection also includes a couple of Boyds porcelain dolls and stuffed bears.

The main portion of my Boyds Bears collection is displayed in the library of our home in a lovely oak lawyer cabinet with glass front doors.  The shelves display several figurines, picture frames and several houses from my Boyds Town collection.  These items are displayed year-round in the cabinet and I will add some additional holiday themed figurines and decorative accents seasonally. TIP: To add height, I used two large bricks for each shelf and these fit perfectly across the entire length of the cabinet.

These photos show the cabinet decorated for the various holidays –

2012 Valentine's Day Boyds Bear bookcase   2013 Easter Boyds Bear bookcase   2012 Christmas Boyds Bear bookcase

On the first shelf of the cabinet, I stacked two smaller bricks in the center to add some additional height.  To define that this is a Boyds Bears themed cabinet, I placed a figurine called, “Tessa, Ben & Cissie … A Sign of the Times” which reads “Boyds Bears and Friends … bears and hares you can trust”.  To the left is a picture frame, “Wings to Soar” with an enchanting picture of our daughter dressed in fairy wings.  To the right is another picture frame, “Pam and Dave …All Aboard” which features a school bus and holds our daughter’s kindergarten photo.  This shelf is where I display my Boyds Bears seasonal figurines.

2013 Boyds Bears bookcase - first shelf

These photos show the shelf with my various Boyds Shoebox Bears figurines –

2013 Easter Boyds figurines

Easter – “Winnie Hopkins” and “Webster Grizberg”

2012 Halloween Boyds figurines

Halloween – “Hazel Spooksbeary” and “Bradley Boo Bear”

2012 Thanksgiving Boyds figurines

Thanksgiving – “Virginia Grizberg”, “Miles Grizberg”, “Chief Sitting Bear” and “Princess Standing Bear”

2011 Christmas Boyds Shoebox Bear 1    2011 Christmas Boyds Shoebox Bear 3

Christmas – “Nicholas Grizberg” and “Elias Grizberg”

The second shelf of my Boyds Bears cabinet features several resin bear figurines.  I have arranged the pieces to tell a story of life from birth to old age.  The figurines left to right are:  “Momma McBear … anticipation”, “The Family” a special 1999 limited edition piece, “Bailey … the graduate”, “Grenville & Beatrice … true love, “Momma & Poppa McNewbear with Baby Bundles”, “Beatrice … we are always the same age inside” a 1998 limited edition piece, and finally “Grenville & Beatrice … best friends”.  These items are displayed year-round in the cabinet and I will try to change the display by adding seasonal decorations.  TIP: Keep an eye out during the various holidays at your local craft stores for seasonal decorative accents to add to a display.  I have found that in the floral section there are usually small spray decorations specific to each of the different seasons and holidays.

This photo shows my Boyds Bears figurines on the second shelf of the cabinet –

2013 Boyds Bears bookcase - second shelf

The bottom shelf of my Boyds Bears cabinet features the charming little houses from the Boyds Town collection.  From left to right the houses are: “Edmund’s Hideaway”, “Grenville and Beatrice’s Homestead”, “Emily’s Carrot Cottage”, and “Bailey’s Cozy Cottage”.  The Boyds Town is decorated seasonally with additional small figurines and decorative accents.  Some of these additional items are from the Boyds Bears product line, other items are purchased at a variety of local craft stores and I also have used some Department 56 items. TIP: Keep an eye out during the various holidays for miniature decorative accents; also check the dollhouse section in the craft stores for more miniature items to add to a display.

These photos are of the Boyds Town collection decorated for the various holidays –

2012 Halloween Boyds Bear Village

Halloween 2012 – I used bare-branch trees for a more seasonal autumn look and added a “harvest moon” in the right corner of the display.  I displayed a couple of “trick or treaters” figurines and a small pumpkin patch.

2011 Fall Boyds Bear Village

Fall 2011 – For Thanksgiving, I kept the pumpkin patch but removed the Halloween kids and added small resin turkeys.

2012 Christmas Boyds Bear Village

Christmas 2012 – I added small pine trees, a small bear Santa and several snowmen figurines, tiny lamp posts with Christmas wreaths and also a sprinkling of mini snowflakes.

2012 Valentine's Day Boyds Bear Village

Valentine’s Day 2013 – I removed all the Christmas decorations and added a sprinkling of tiny hearts to the display.

2013 Easter Boyds Bear Village

Spring 2013 – I remove all the previous seasonal trees and add more spring-like green trees.  I found a small section of “grass” and miniature tulips in a variety of colors in the model railroad section of my local craft store and I added these items to the front of the display.  Then, I added more seasonal figurines to the display.

Look for tomorrow’s Décor Post, “Decorating with Boyds Bears (Part Two) for more ideas and tips for decorating with a collection for the different holiday seasons and even some special events.

 A Brief history of the Boyds Bears Company

The Boyds Bears Company was founded by Gary Lowenthal and his wife Justina Unger.  It all started back in 1979 when they moved to Boyd, Maryland and opened a small antique store.  Gary soon began making reproduction duck decoys which led to him making small resin houses called “The Gnomes Homes” in 1984.  Eventually they added to their product line and started making plush bears and rabbits and by 1993 they began making resin bears.  The company was now called the Boyds Bears Figurines and Collectibles with the company administration offices and product processing building located just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

By this time, the Boyds Bear Company has added several more additional product lines but the resin bears remained the most popular.  In 1996, the Boyds Bears Company started their own official fan club called the “Loyal Order of Friends of Boyds” or better known as the FOBs.  The cost of the annual membership included a special FOB kit each year that could be purchased that included exclusive member’s only items, such as figurines, plush bears and a special resin member pin.  Members also had access to an online newsletter and a member’s only website.

Over the years, many of the Boyds Bear products have won numerous prestigious awards, including the Teddy Bear of the Year Awards and Doll of the Year Awards.  Then, in 2001 they opened their first store located in Gettysburg, PA near their company headquarters and later an additional store in Pigeon Forge, TN.  Unfortunately, due to changes in the retail market and difficult economic conditions the Tennessee store closed in 2007 and the Pennsylvania store closed in 2011.  (When we visited Gettysburg in 2008 and again in 2009 I was able to visit the Boyds Bear Country store.  It was a delightful barn–themed building filled with the complete line of Boyds Bears products.  Needless to say, I was there for a couple of hours just looking at all the items and the wonderful displays throughout the multi-level building.)

2008 Boyds Bear Country

Boyds Bear Country in 2008

Enecso, a large American company which specializes in the sales and distribution of a variety of giftware and collectible, acquired the Boyds Bear Company in 2008.  Currently the Boyds collection is sold in independent gift and collectible stores as well online.