Since their introduction in 1978, the dew-eyed Precious Moments figurines have stolen the hearts of people all over the world and become the most widely sought after contemporary collectible. The Precious Moments story is the tale of three men: Sam Butcher, the artist; Gene Freedman, the inspirer; and Yasuhei Fujioka, the sculptor. The combination of their various talents created a phenomenon spanning continents and generations and touching thousands of lives. Why are these appealing figurines so popular? Why do people fill curio cabinets with the diminutive figures and travel for hundreds of miles seeking hard-to-find pieces? Why have 500,000 people joined collectors clubs and donated countless hours of community service? Possibly because Precious Moments are far more than a popular collectible. The figures depict familiar scenes with which we all can identify, yet they are so unique that we believe they were created for us alone. An inspirational message radiates joyously from each figurine, offering words of hope and encouragement, celebration and joy. Precious Moments Last Foreveris filled with more than 1,000 illustrations of the collection, its creators and the collectors. Laura Martin's text highlights the history of Precious Moments with accounts from the letters and journals of collectors and reveals how collectors have come together to maintain a spirit of loving, caring and sharing.