May 20—CARTHAGE, Mo. — Sam Butcher, an artist who helped put Carthage on the map as the founder of Precious Moments, has died. The Precious Moments Foundation announced on its Facebook page on ...

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Sam Butcher, the artist who created the Precious Moments figurines depicting angelic teardrop-eyed children, has died. He was 85. The company said in a Facebook post that he died ...

Samuel Butcher, the founder and designer of the collectible "Precious Moments" porcelain figurines, died at the age of 85 on Monday, the company announced in a statement.

Collectible figurines from Precious Moments, a Christian giftware company, could be worth up to $15,000 if you happen to have authentic ones with the right attributes.

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.