Just about anyone that you ask will tell you that they have heard of Boyds Bears and for good reason; The Boyds Collection Ltd. has been in business for over 30 years! They started as a small antique shop in Boyds, Maryland (Hence the name Boyds Bears) in 1979. The founders Gary M. Lowenthal and wife Justina Unger made their first stuffed bear for their newborn son Mathew and began selling bears similar to this not too long after. These bears eventually became known as Boyds Bears. In 1993 they introduced their first resin bears and this remains to have one of their largest followings.