[4] Edward Rudy "Ed" Bazinet (born 26 November 1943 in Ramsey County, Minnesota)[1][5] founded the company by convincing the Bachman family to invest $50,000 in starting the division in 1976.

[6] He was a talented employee of Bachman's who won the Minnesota State Florist Association's 1964 Designer of the Year competition.

[10] A $20 million spending spree by Bazinet at a New York gift fair in 2012, for which he received headlines, was reported as being due to a bipolar episode.

[13] About two-thirds of sales are via smaller gift and Christmas shops, but the most recent growth has been through national retail stores, with Amazon also among the biggest customers.

[20][21] A sub-series called "Christmas Lane" became a bestseller and includes what one vendor describes as "typical overly decorated homes located on the streets of America during the holiday season".

[22][23] In 2011, identical twin brothers Mark and Mac Sockwell won a national contest to have their home and its decorations developed into a new Christmas Lane house.

[22] Pieces include The Cottage of Bob Cratchit & Tiny Tim, The Old Curiosity Shop, Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, and Oliver Twist.

It consists of buildings such as Josef Engel Farmhouse, Besson Bierkeller, Grist Mill and the St. Nickolaus Kirche church.

[22][29] The "North Pole Series" was started in 1990 with the introduction of three houses, Santa's Workshop, Elf Bunkhouse, and Reindeer Barn.

[36] In addition to club promotion and information exchange, the NCC helps sponsor collector gatherings which include seminars, display contests, and fundraising for local charities.