Boyds Licenses World-Renowned Teddy Bear Artist, Steve Schutt!

Gettysburg, Pa., The Boyds Collection Ltd.® is proud to announce its work with renowned bear artists is expanding. We've added award-winning artist, Steve Schutt, to our line-up. Many of you may not even realize we have a series of bears called 'The Artisan Series.' But, we're trying to change all that!

The folks at Boyds have been in business since 1979, but it wasn't until 1984 that we jumped into the bear business. So, we're not experts (well, on a good day we come close). That's why the Head Bean called in the 'big guns,' the Bear Arteeests who've been sewin' since they were seven and sellin' their original bears for 'big bucks' all over the world. They've lowered their standards just enough to let Boyds license and reproduce their designs for the masses of Beanheads who love those 'Artistic' styled bears. Currently, we have 6 artists working with us. Jody Battaglia, Pat Murphy, the Out of the Woods artisans-Alan Clark, Judy Davis, and Steve Orique, and our newest licensee, Steve Schutt.

Steve is the newest "Arteest" to join Boyds. He grew up in Clarion, Iowa, and taught art in elementary school for 17 years. In his free time, Steve pursued an interest in puppetry, which ultimately led him to design bears. He made his first bear in 1980. Steve turned to bear-making fulltime in 1988 and, over the past 20 years, has created over 12,000 bears and friends! (Now that's alotta stitchin' and stuffin'!) Inspired by his love of bears, Steve co-founded, in 1984, the Iowa Teddy Bear Makers' Guild and organized, in 1990, Clarion's famous "Teddy Bear Reunion in the Heartland," a gathering that is now held every five years. Steve is considered one of America's pioneering teddy bear artists and has been honored for his achievements with Golden Teddy and Artists' Choice Awards, as well as Toby Award nominations.

Rupert B. Shutterbear is Steve's first contribution to the Artisan Series. "After working with Boyds in the Clarion Teddy Bear events that we sponsor and meeting several of the people that work for Boyds," says Steve, "I was proud and excited when Boyds asked me to design a bear for the Artisan Series and become a part of the extended Boyds Family of designers!" Rupert, an antique-style design, is floppy and bean-filled and features tan ultrasuede paw pads and an incorporated red union suite with paw print buttons and "drop seat." Look for the special Steve Schutt hang tag to know you've found this gen-yoo-wine Artisan Series exclusive!

The Boyds Collection Ltd. is the leading designer, importer, and distributor of the world-famous (well, almost) Bears and Hares You Can Trust and other specialty giftware. Boyds sells its products through a large and diverse network of independent retailers, selected catalogue retailers and other electronic and retail channels. Boyds crafts affordably priced, high quality, "Folksy with Attitude" products. And, is one of the largest corporate sponsors of the Starlight Children's Foundation®. The Boyds Collection Ltd. is based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and is a publicly traded company (NYSE symbol: FOB).

This Fall, Celebrate the Everyday Activities and Joys of Children with Boyds Doll Collection!

Gettysburg, Pa. - For Fall 2003, Boyds Doll Collection celebrates the everyday activities and joys of children. Even on the coldest days, these dolls are sure to warm your heart.

Our 16-inch Yesterdays' Child® doll, Ashley, showcases the traditional, time-honored Boyds look with some extra handwork details. Ashley is playing mommy with baby bear Zoe and has a resin bottle ready. Ashley sells for around $70.00.

Boyds introduces three new dolls in the 12-inch My Best Friend™... The Doll Collection. First is Kara with Slipknot. They are tied together as they unravel the mysteries of the crocheted chain stitch. Jamie and Axle are ice dancing and Wendy and Verna are dressed for high tea! Each doll sells for around $40.00.

Each year, we offer a Christmas doll, and Maggie the first holiday doll in the 14-inch Little Girls and Boyds™ series. Nicki, another 14-inch beauty, is learning all about color in her nursery school for budding artists! And, Kasie and Spot are Daddy's helpers, and celebrate America's heroes. Dolls in this collection sell for around $60.00

And, since our Snuggle-B's™ have been such a big hit, we have five new softies to share-schoolgirl Kenzie; baker Brenda; good witch Esmerelda; and folksy Merrie and Libby, who have red heart noses and stuffed appliqu�s on their aprons. All five sell for around $15.

We are also very proud of our brand new decorative figures, the Home Town Bunch™. Each season, this neighborhood gang will embark on some new adventure. This Christmas, they are serenading friends and family with carols! Look for the special holly pin on each figure as your symbol of authenticity! Each doll in this grouping costs $36.00. Also new for Fall '03 is our nativity set. The figures are all children in a Sunday School pageant, with resin play clothes under their cloth robes. They are animated in the ways children are-sucking thumbs, looking shy, having the wiggles-even bringing a pet frog! This set is ideal for display or for gift-giving and costs around $100.00 for the entire cast of characters.

Boyds Celebrates Motherhood with the First Eva' Pregnant Bear!

Gettysburg, Pa - Ya can't say The Folks at Boyds are afraid to try something new that's for sure. In fact, we delight in it. That's why Boyds has 'given birth' to the first eva' pregnant bear, Ima Late.

Thank goodness for all those proud moms who work here at Boyds, otherwise who knows if The Head Bean Hisself would have designed her properly! With their help, we made sure she got the right amount of stuffin' to make her belly nice and rounded. Plus, of course her ankles had to be a big bigger, after all, we can't forget about the swelling. Ima is a mixed gold teddy bear wearing a Baby On Board maternity top, pants, and a floral print bow. New for Fall 2003, Ima Late joins our family of Thinkin' of Ya Bears-bears and friends celebrating life's special events.

Ima is the perfect gift for the mommy-to-be. Just stash her in a gift basket for a friend's shower or buy her for yourself when yer feelin' blue. Boyds is 'expecting' Ima to be one of its best sellers, in fact she's already the most popular bear with our dealers. You can find Ima and all of her friends in shops around the country this August. She'll sell for around $14.00. (And, just in case you were wondering... as far as we can tell, Ima is about seven months along. So, please take care when giving her to a friend!)

The Boyds Collection Ltd. is the leading designer, importer, and distributor of the world-famous (well, almost) Bears and Hares You Can Trust™ and other specialty giftware.

Boyds sells its products through a large and diverse network of independent retailers, selected catalogue retailers and other electronic and retail channels. Boyds crafts affordably priced, high quality, "Folksy with Attitude" products. Proud to help out seriously ill children nationwide, Boyds is also one of the largest corporate sponsors of the Starlight Children's Foundation. The Boyds Collection Ltd. is based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and is a publicly traded company (NYSE symbol: FOB).

Guaranteed to Warm the Heart... HC Accents™ for Fall 2003!

Gettysburg, Pa., Childhood memories will surface as you page through HC Accents™, a division of The Boyds Collection, Ltd. ®, 2003 Fall Collection catalog. Inspired by the vivid colors of Fall and Winter, this season's line includes 9 classic and dynamic collections to accent the home.

Our Mountain Pine décor captures the wild side of life. Wonderful wool rugs, pillows, and matching hurricanes create a lodge feeling that will warm the wildest hearts. Loop-De-Loop is a great collection that captures the magic of starry winter nights in its wonderful wool, soft reds, ivory, and blue. Greens and Berries never fade. Just the sounds makes customers want to run home, light the fire, and break out the eggnog. The table square, cushion cover, napkins, place mats, decorative plates, and platter create the most magnificent display. Whether in Manhattan or in a country home... no one can say no to Greens and Berries. Every kid dreams of snow days... even big kids!! Exciting childhood memories of snowy mornings and school delays inspired the Willy Chillhill collection. Check out the upside down snowman cookie jar and mugs-each is oversized to accommodate a few extra helpings! The soft blue and white is sure to be a hit on those cold snow days. Those a just a few of the Holiday collections that we're sure we'll touch your soul. Take a moment to flip through the catalog to see everything else offered.

HC Accents™ began with founders, Edward H. Sullivan and Stephen C. Chambliss who shared a love for antiques and in the early 1980's, bought and sold old painted furnishings and textiles. After gathering a large selection of damaged linens and doilies, the partners began crafting their own original creations-bunnies, Santas, angels, and bears. Their products proved so popular the duo eventually added a line of upscale home accessories, and HC Accents™ grew and evolved into an award-winning home décor company. In recent years, HC Accents™ was acquired by The Boyds Collection Ltd.®, whose founder, Gary Lowenthal, followed the growth of HC Accents™ and the talent behind the products since 1988.

Boyds Teddy Bear Nursery is Now Open

June 19, 2003 - Gettysburg, Pa, Open now and only at Boyds Bear Country, Boyds Teddy Bear Nursery... where baby bears are born every day. Our friendly Nurse Carin welcomes perspective parents of all ages to visit our Nursery and adopt their beary own cuddly bundle of joy.

Hearts will melt as folks peer through the nursery window at all the lil' bear cubs snug in their cradles, just waitin' to be takin' home. Hands will tremble as the lil' ones fill out the adoption papers, bringin' 'em one step closer to havin' their own baby bear. No need to worry, Nurse Carin will be on hand to help with the adoption process! After the paperwork has been processed, parents-to-be are handed their newborn cub and a photo is taken to assure they'll never forget this special day... making an unforgettable memory that will last a lifetime.

Bear cubs come with their own sleeper, diaper, blankie, bracelet, adoption certificate, photo and resin pin. Adoption packages range in price from $49.95 to $74.95.

About The Boyds Collection Ltd. ®

The Boyds Collection Ltd.® is the leading designer, importer and distributor of the Bears and Hare You Can Trust™ and other specialty giftware. Boyds sells its products through a large and diverse network of retailers, high-end department stores, and other electronic and retail channels. Boyds crafts affordably priced, high quality, "Folksy with Attitude" products. Boyds is also a proud sponsor of the Starlight Children's Foundation. The Boyds Collection Ltd.® is based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and is a publicly traded company (NYSE symbol: FOB).

Boyds Salutes the Red Hat Society!

Gettysburg, Pa. - Inspired by the women of the Red Hat Society, Boyds has designed a whimsical bear complete with purple dress and bright red hat, Ms. Rouge Chapeau. New for Fall '03, Ms. Rouge Chapeau is the perfect gift for all those ladies out there that believe in living life to the fullest!

For those of you who have never heard of the Red Hat Society, here's a brief introduction. The Red Hat Society started with a group of older ladies in California who were inspired by a poem entitled "Warning" by Jenny Joseph. In the poem Joseph mentions, "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple..." Taking this to heart, the ladies formed a group who met on a regular basis for tea... in their red hats and purple dresses and in public, of course. Once others got wind of this group, many started their own chapters. Today there are thousands of members worldwide. These ladies embrace life and celebrate the milestone of turning 50 (not the millstone!). Fun is foremost and rules are few. In fact, there is pride in the 'disorganization' of the organization. The folks at Boyds salute that whimsical spirit and have deigned to design a bear in accordance with it. After all, life is too short to take seriously!

"We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life, and, since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together. It's great to be associated with a company like Boyds, a company that matches our creed," said Sue Ellen Cooper, Red Hat Society Exalted Queen Mother. "The Red Hat Society and Boyds Bears mean so much to so many women. Whether it's celebrating life by wearing red and purple or finding comfort in Boyds Bears... both bring about happiness and that's what it's all about."

If you would like more information about the Red Hat Society, log onto www.redhatsociety.com or to find a store near you that carries Ms. Rouge Chapeau, check out our dealer locator at www.boydsstuff.com. Available in August, this bear will sell for around $28.00.

Celebrate Friendship with the Folks at Boyds!

Gettysburg, Pa., Join Boyds on October 18 & 19, 2003 for a National celebration of friendship. Ya see, after seeing so many friendships formed over the years, all from a mutual love of Boyds Bears, it seemed only fitting to celebrate friendship with our extended Boyds family. So, to honor those special friendships, Boyds is pairin' up two cuties, one for you and one for your beary best friend, for the Fall 2003 Special Event. And for once, we're even lettin' you pick yer bears' names. (You don't get that opportunity too often with all us creative folks here at Boyds!)

These loose and floppy bean-filled bears are linked paw in paw. Each is made with distressed string material, one beige-colored, the other gold, and features bobble joints. Each bear comes with a star print heart hangin' around its neck and a Collector Edition logo on its paw pad. Designed to be shared by friends, all you have to do is loosen the stitches and give one to a friend. This set will be available for $10 with a $20 purchase of Boyds Stuff. Available at participating Boyds dealers on October 18 and 19, 2003 only! Log onto www.BoydsStuff.com to find a participating retailer near you!

"I think the special event piece appeals to everyone. We all have a special friend we turn to in times of need, and what better way to say you care than by giving him or her a friendship bear," said Jean-Andre Rougeot, Boyds' CEO. "Plus, these bears are just a 'terrrific' way to celebrate our relationship with our extended Boyds family and friends."

And, to make this special event even more spectacular, you'll also have the opportunity to win a 20-inch Bailey bear. Now, if ya don't know who Bailey is, where da heck have you been? The Head Bean Hisself first created Bailey back in 1993 and named her after his daughter. Bailey has since been a regular edition to the line as a limited edition bear that comes out every six months. But, this is the first time that we've ever done a large edition of Bailey, one of our most popular bears, so that makes her even more special! Now, this Exclusive, Limited-Edition Americana Bailey will not be available for sale. She will be raffled off or given away as a door prize, depending on the dealer... and she's only available during the special event.

The Boyds Collection Ltd. is the leading designer, importer, and distributor of the world-famous (well, almost) Bears and Hares You Can Trust and other specialty giftware.

Boyds sells its products through a large and diverse network of independent retailers, selected catalogue retailers and other electronic and retail channels. Boyds crafts affordably priced, high quality, "Folksy with Attitude" products. Proud to help out seriously ill kids nationwide, Boyds is also one of the largest corporate sponsors of the Starlight Children's Foundation. The Boyds Collection Ltd. is based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and is a publicly traded company (NYSE symbol: FOB).