Boyds Bears was founded by Gary M. Lowenthal and his wife, Justina Unger. They were owners of an antique shop, which although profitable, found difficulty maintaining an inventory of well priced antiques. They then turned to making and selling antique reproductions. Some of their more profitable reproductions included duck decoys. In 1984 they began sculpting with resin, at first making a line of miniature houses called "The Gnomes Homes". The first bear was a stuffed bear made for the couple's newborn son, Matthew. They began making and selling stuffed bears, and the bears became known as "Boyds Bears" for the town of Boyds, Maryland, where they lived and operated their business. The line of plush bears and rabbits was a hugely popular success, and in 1993 Boyds introduced the first resin bears. Today the Boyds company has several product lines, but the bears remain the most successful.[1] Enesco acquired the company in 2008.
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