The original 21 Precious Moments figurines were released to worldwide acclaim, kickstarting a new era of collecting and gift-giving, the Precious Moments website states.

For a time, the Precious Moments Care-a-Van — an 18-wheeler kitted out like a museum, filled with figurines and dioramas that told Butcher’s life story — toured the country.

By 1995, there were more than 500,000 Precious Moments club members in the United States and more than 30,000 shops selling the figurines at prices ranging from $25 to $300.

According to its official website, the Precious Moments Chapel and Gardens aims to preserve "the art and medium through which Samuel J. Butcher communicated his unique message of loving, caring ...

The widespread appeal of Precious Moments, however, is likely tied to their cute and nostalgic look as well as their being works of art.