Introduced in 1978, Precious Moments is a collection of lovingly, crafted bisque porcelain figurines. Based on the artwork of Sam Butcher and sculpted by Yasuhei Fujioka, the ever popular figurines continue to spread the message of loving, caring, and sharing to Precious Moment collectors around the world with Precious Moments Collectibles.
A man by the name of Sam Butcher began drawing beautiful children over twenty-five years ago. He named his drawings “Precious Moments”, and their charm and sweetness caught on like wildfire. Initially, the Precious Moments® children were only produced on cards and posters. When Sam Butcher and his partner took their artwork to a convention, retailers began swarming around to get a closer look at the drawings. Eventually, the Enesco® Company offered to take Sam’s drawings and bring them to life by producing figurines. The Precious Moments® figurines were born.
The first of the Precious Moments® figurines was entitled “Love One Another”. This was the first Precious Moment figurine to be shown to Sam Butcher by Enesco®, and he was so overwhelmed that he agreed to let them begin producing the entire line. Today, Precious Moments® figurines are a hugely popular collector’s item, and people all over the world have begun to start their own collection. Each year, the figurines are represented by a different symbol on the bottom so that collectors can easily identify their year of production. The first year Precious Moments® figurines were created was in 1981, and the symbol for that particular year was a triangle. Other symbols for the following years are items such as a fish, dove, olive branch, heart, butterfly, ship, and star, among many others.
In 2005, a new chapter in the Precious Moments® story began, as the collection “came home” to join the rest of the Precious Moments® family at Precious Moments, Incorporated. Today, the Precious Moments® line is still going strong. There are several collectors’ clubs that participate in the tracking of new Precious Moments® figurines, and who keep up with their own existing collections. Each one of the Precious Moments® figurines are beautifully crafted and painted in lovely pastel colors. Every figurine has its own theme and title. Precious Moments® figurines make a lovely, memorable gift for children and adults of all ages and are sure to touch your heart. Precious Moments Christmas pieces and the Precious Moments nativity are especially endearing.