Downtrodden Yet Ever Hopeful, Dickensian Carolers Exude Holiday Joy

Several years ago, I hit a mini bonanza at an auction in Brattleboro, Vt. Bidding online with no idea of their condition or quality, I won the bid for a huge collection of those Dickens-inspired Christmas caroler figures. I think I paid $20 bucks for a big tub of them. I'd guess it was somebody's collection. I didn't think much about the lot 'til it was time to set my booth for the holiday season. I realized I must have gotten about 50 of the sweet peasant figures, all with their mouths shaped in little "O"s as they caroled away. I was aware that the most collectible type of these dolls is the brand Byers' Choice. They appear to be the premium caroler dolls while Department 56 gives them a run for their money. Very few of my caroler booty was either Byers' Choice or Department 56. Though there were a couple of each, most were other knock-off versions. Regardless, as I unpacked them, I couldn't help but admire the detail that went into each and every one of them. Crafted of resin and fully dressed in period attire, some hold song books in their hands. Others have instruments and some hold nothing at all but might express their joy with their gloved hands. Young, old and middle-aged, each face of the carolers was remarkably well done. Some had real fabric clothes and accessories; some outfits were a molded part of the doll. I'd never looked at these dolls all that closely before but that evening of unpacking left me impressed. At my shop, I set up an old blanket chest with shredded wood on top of cardboard boxes, hopefully creating the look of artifacts long stowed away, an idea I borrowed from Windham Antiques in Bellows Falls, Vt. I priced each caroler at $5 and they flew out of the store. Within a week they were all gone. I think Dickens-era carolers perfectly capture that old-fashioned feeling of charity and hope that gives us the warm fuzzies during the Christmas season. Despite living in 1843 London with barely a roof over their heads, this collective mass of citizens still go caroling at Christmas time. They embody hope and humanity. Just last year I made another discovery I thought was nearly as fantastic. At yet another auction, I bought a set of six carolers and an accompanying lamp post. Larger than the Byers' and Department 56 and a bit more primitive, I wondered if I'd struck upon the original carolers the others had been based on. Maybe the original carolers' manufacturer just didn't have the right marketing to successfully reach a mass market frenzy. Instead, my brand of these larger, heavier dolls, PJ's Cedartown Carolers, quietly came and went, later to be copied by Byers' and much more successfully marketed. Turns out I was wrong. It's hard to find any information on PJ's Cedartown Carolers but when I just put "PJ's Cedartown" into a Google search, I finally got my answer. Created by Pat and Jim Hennon of Newbern, Va., the artists crafted their carolers in the 80s and 90s whereas Joyce Byers began making her carolers in the 1960s. Joyce started out crafting the figures for her own personal decorative use, reflecting her memories of Christmas. In the early 1970s, Joyce had so many requests for her handmade carolers, she began selling them in local stores and established Byers' Choice Ltd., eventually reaching massive success. Byers' Choice carolers are still produced today in Chalfont, Pa. by trained artisans. PJ's Cedartown Carolers ceased production in the 1990s and can be bought on the secondary market at sites such as eBay and Etsy. I'd guess they were just a bit too big and heavy to join in the success of the carolers' market. If all else fails, though, they'd make a great billy club in case you find someone other than Santa under your Christmas tree in the middle of the night.