![]() Upon reflection, we can see that any language challenges between the Founding Artist Sam Butcher and Master Sculptor Fujioka San most likely enhanced, rather than detracted from, the beauty of these figurines. In the end, they captured the childlike innocence and faithful spirits of the adorable Precious Moments children in masterful fashion. Inspired by a mission to share the gift of love with the world, the talented duo worked for countless hours to perfect the soulful eyes and other signature details of Sam Butcher's original illustrations. Sam Butcher flew to Japan shortly after he first saw "Love One Another," one of the Original 21 Precious Moments figurines. Sharing Visions with Heart: Sam Butcher and the Master Sculptor Precious Moments Founding Artist Sam Butcher when he saw the first figurine prototype! Well, just imagine how it must have felt to Member of the Precious Moments Collectors’ Club? Have you been to the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage Missouri for the annual Family Reunion Event? Or are you just beginning your journey into the loving, caring, and sharing experience that is Precious Moments? Do you smile or get misty -eyed when you think about the first time you saw the exquisite artistry of a Precious Moments figurine? The Original 21 Precious Moments Figurines: That First Pieceįriendship between Sam Butcher and Bill Biel, to the fateful first meeting between Gene Freedman and the founders of Jonathan & David, to the serendipitous synergy between Master Sculptor Yasuhei Fujioka and Founding Artist Sam Butcher, it’s hard to find a more telling example of the fact that the goodness and reach of God’s plans are literally beyond our capacity to imagine.ĭo you remember your first Precious Moments figurine? Were you a lucky birthday girl, or a happy bride? Did you receive a romantic gift from your husband that still makes you smile? Are you a No one except God could have predicted this explosive success story. But in less than two years after the figurines hit the shelves of gift stores across the nation, there were tens of thousands of members of the Precious Moments Collectors’ Club and by 1994, Precious Moments figurines had become a worldwide collectible phenomenon. In 1981, the first issue of the Precious Moments "Good Newsletter" optimistically predicted that the Precious Moments Collectors Club would be 5000 Members strong within 6 months. This winning combination of hard work, friendship, artistry, quality, charisma and most of all, faith resulted in a miraculous success story. The audience was amazed” –attendee at the 1979 Atlantic City, New Jersey Precious Moments gathering During one forty-five minute presentation, he spoke about the Bible and the crowd was spellbound. “When Sam began to speak, a hush spread over the auditorium. ![]() At an invitation-only gathering of Jonathan & David customers in Atlantic City in 1979, his charismatic way of sharing his faith and his mission moved the talkative crowd into stunned silence. In addition to being an active speaker in church, Sam Butcher's regular appearances as a story-teller and an artist on a well-known TV show made him an unusually impactful speaker. The message, its sincerity and integrity and the ability of Sam to express his work through these childlike blessings is what makes the Precious Moments collectibles so successful." - Gene Freedman Sam Butcher's Faithful Influence: The Precious Moments Collectors' Club Actually, the success of the little figurines is the design-the inspired design through Sam’s hands. We had to bone up on collectibles and bring people into the organization who had expertise in that field. When we introduced the P recious Moments collection it was as part of a gift line, not as a collectible…Precious Moments figurines reached collectible status because of the response of the public. Believe it or not, these collectible treasures were not initially sold as collectibles, but as ordinary giftware! Although the retailers did not have high hopes for product sales, they took a chance because of the excellent quality and stellar reputations of everyone involved. In the fall of 1978, Sam Butcher, Bill Biel and Gene Freedman introduced the first 21 Figurines to giftware retailers under the company name, ![]() Precious Moments Figurines: From Giftware To Collectible Treasures The faithful choice early on to let God run the entire show, and the success they experienced after the public first saw the Original 21 Precious Moments figurines in 1979 was beyond their wildest dreams. In the end, the history of Precious Moments is a truly fascinating tale about the miraculous power of faith, love and friendship in business. The founder of Precious Moments and his business partners made
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