Byers' Choice facts for kids
Byers’ Choice Ltd. is a company in Chalfont, Pennsylvania, that makes special Christmas figures and holiday decorations. It's a family-owned business, and they are most famous for their "Caroler" figures. They make all their products right here in the United States.
Every year, Byers’ Choice makes over 500,000 Carolers! These figures are sold in more than 3,000 stores across the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company is currently led by Joyce Byers, who started it, and her two sons, Robert and Jeffrey Byers. Joyce’s husband, Robert Byers Sr., is retired but still helps with the company’s charity work.
Contents
History
How the Carolers Began
Joyce Byers used to be a fashion designer and artist. After a trip to London, she saw beautiful winter scenes in shop windows. This gave her an idea! When she came home to Pennsylvania, she started making her own Christmas figures. She used simple things she found around her house, like wire, newspaper, fabric, and clay.
Joyce used these first Carolers to decorate her own home for Christmas. Many visitors loved them and asked where she got them. With help from her husband Robert and their two sons, Joyce spent the next few autumns making more Carolers. They gave these as gifts to friends and family.
Growing the Business
In the early 1970s, Joyce started selling some of her creations. She first offered them at a local Women’s Exchange. Soon, other local stores also wanted to sell her figures. After a few years, Joyce and her family couldn't make enough Carolers by themselves. The demand was too high!
So, they hired several art students to help. These students worked during the summer to fill all the orders. The family and their new helpers set up their workshop in their barnyard, right next to their sheep and geese! They made as many Carolers as they could to send to stores for Christmas.
Byers’ Choice Ltd. officially became a company in 1978. Soon after, they hired a national sales representative. This helped them start selling the Carolers all across the country.
Carolers
How Carolers Are Made
Joyce Byers still designs all the Carolers herself. She creates a special look for each new line of figures. First, she sculpts an original head. This head is then used to make a mold for all the other heads in that line. She also designs the clothes, which become a pattern for all the Carolers.
The body of each Caroler is made from tissue paper wrapped around a wire frame. This wire frame gives the figure its shape.
Next, the molds of Joyce’s original heads are filled with clay. After each head comes out of the mold, skilled artists add small details. They add things like nostrils and lips. Then, they paint the heads and add eyes, eyebrows, and coloring.
Finally, the heads and bodies go to the "dressers." These people take fabric that has been specially cut to fit Joyce’s designs. They dress each figure carefully. After that, they attach the head and hair, finishing the Caroler!
Different Designs
Byers’ Choice still makes traditional Carolers. These are similar to the original Victorian-style Christmas figures. But they have also created many other types of figures! They now have pieces for other holidays like Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.
The company has also made special figures based on classic stories. These include characters from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and the ballet The Nutcracker. They even have a line of collectible models of old cars!
In 1992, Byers’ Choice worked with the Salvation Army. They created a Caroler that looked like a Salvation Army bell ringer with a red kettle. Byers’ Choice still makes these Carolers. They donate part of the money from their sale to the Salvation Army.
Byers’ Choice has also worked with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Together, they created figures showing characters from Virginia during the American Revolution. These are sold by the foundation and other stores.
Philanthropy
Giving Back to the Community
In 1986, the Byers Family started the Byers’ Foundation. This is a charity organization that helps others. The foundation regularly gives money to many groups. These include the Salvation Army, the YMCA, Covenant House, and Habitat for Humanity.
In 1999, the company was chosen as one of the top ten finalists in a special search. This search looked for American companies that showed good citizenship through their charity work. In 2000, Bob Sr. and Joyce Byers were honored by the Caring Institute. They were recognized for their kind actions and for running their company with strong values.
