During a trip to London many years ago, Joyce and Bob Byers came upon a unique series of porcelain figures in an antique shop. These pieces, which appeared to step right from the pages of a Charles Dickens novel, captured the spirit of 19th-century England for Joyce.

    Back Home Page, Joyce came across a set of paper Mache choir figures that seemed to reflect the true spirit of Christmas. While debating whether or not to purchase these as gifts, she was struck by an idea . . . she could try to create caroling figures with the feeling of 19th-century England and Christmas.

    An amateur artist with a degree in fashion design, Joyce began working on the project using materials she had at Home Page. She was already adept at handicrafts and enjoyed seeing her creations come to life, Joyce’s first figurines made her think of characters from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but these early creations looked quite different from the Carolers® figurines as we know them today.

    Family members who saw the Carolers that first Christmas adored them and over the next few years received the figurines as gifts. A neighbor suggested taking the figurines to craft and antique shows, and the Carolers Sold Out quickly. At one show, Bob was approached by someone from a display company who said that his firm would be interested in buying figurines if they could be enlarged and altered according to their customers’ needs. Joyce rose to the challenge, thus determining the fate of Byers’ Choice.

    Over the next few years, Joyce, Bob and their two sons spent much of each autumn making figurines for friends, craft fairs, a few stores, and the display company. After the Carolers began overwhelming the Byers’ dining room, they converted their garage to a work-shop. In 1981, with the addition of full-time helpers, the family hobby was incorporated, and Bob and Joyce officially cast their lot with the Carolers.

    Today Byers’ Choice Ltd. is still a family business that hires skilled handcrafters and professionally trained artists, In order to meet growing demand, it became necessary to make changes in both the method of manufacture and, to a limited extent, the appearance of the figurines. While today’s Carolers are very different from those produced in the early years, almost everyone agrees that they like the current look best. Joyce sculpts the original molds of the faces and designs most of the clothing for the Carolers. Meanwhile, Bob tends to the financial and administrative side of the business. He also oversees the company’s extensive charitable giving to a host of local, national and international concerns. In 1987, the job of overseeing each figurine through production fell to son Robert, while son Jeffrey joined the family business in 1990 as marketing manager.

    The history of the Carolers is a good old made in the USA story. With a lot of hard work and a dose of imagination, Bob and Joyce Byers have seen their hobby grow into a successful business dedicated to serving the customer and, through their philanthropy, the community. With the boundless energy of the Byers’ Choice family, the Carolers should only get better.

The Byers' choice Editor: Pam Byers Designer: Dawn Byers