Let’s be honest: if you are a Midwestern mom of a certain age – or if you were raised by one – then chances are you have at least a few Precious Moments figurines on display in your home. And for good reason— those doe-eyed ceramics certainly are cute! As a matter of fact, we have an entire cupboard devoted to these precious guys.
Just the other day, we were dusting off the figurines, and a very valid question popped into our head: just what are these characters ABOUT, anyway? We’ve gifted and even re-gifted plenty of them over the years, yet their backstory was a complete mystery to us.
So, after some thorough research — that included falling into a rabbit hole or two! — we ended up with quite the list of interesting Precious Moments factoids. Here are 9 of the most eye-opening ones.
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Precious Moments has its very own theme park
You read that right. Precious Moments Inc. actually has a theme park and place of worship right next to the company’s headquarters in Carthage, Missouri. When business was booming in the mid-nineties, the theme park included an event space for weddings and even an RV park!
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The brand has pulled off quite the creative artistic homage
At its Carthage theme park, Precious Moments has a chapel that is modeled after the one-and-only Sistine Chapel, except instead of recreations of Michelangelo’s great works, it includes painted renditions of Precious Moments characters. Random, but true!
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It’s a Christian organization
It probably comes as no surprise to you that Precious Moments, Inc. was founded on Christian values. The CEO of the business, artist Samuel J. Butcher, established the brand in the 1970s and began selling exclusively to Christian bookstores soon after the launch.
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Some figurines are worth a ton of cash
Believe it or not, many “unmarked” figurines are garnering quite the big payday for re-sellers on online marketplaces such as eBay and Etsy. Currently, a figurine called “God Loveth a Cheerful Giver” (seen above) is commanding around 250 bucks.
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Precious Moments retires select figurines each year
Which means, if you happen to fall in love with a limited edition figurine from your local store, then you should nab it right away, or else, you may have to pay a premium after it goes into retirement!
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The characters have appeared in animated movies
If you’re a real Precious Moments junkie, then you’ve likely binge-watched its many straight-to-video holiday classics, such as “Timmy’s Gift,” “Simon the Lamb,” and “Little Sparrow.”
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A limited edition figurine was created in remembrance of a Missouri teen
When 17-year-old Christy Maubach passed away in 2010 in a car crash, her family went to the Precious Moments headquarters and asked if the company could make a special figurine honoring the teen. Amazingly, the company obliged, and even went on to produce 1,200 units.
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The figurines often double as wedding cake toppers
Raise your hand if Precious Moments figurines sat atop your wedding cake! If your hand is up, then you are part of the more than 2 million couples who chose to incorporate the characters into their special day!
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Precious Moments has a partnership with Disney
If you are both a Disney-aholic AND a Precious Moments-aholic, then these special figurines are definitely for you. Snow White has never looked cuter!
Who knew that these figurines had such a remarkable history?! We’d love to hear your take on all things Precious Moments. Are you a collector of these figurines? If so, which one is your favorite? Have you ever visited the Precious Moments Chapel before?
