Beanie Babies are out and Precious Moments are so in
Remember when we all thought Beanie Babies were going to be A Huge Thing, so much that we didn’t remove their name tags or even really play with them because our parents convinced us they’d be worth “big money” someday? Well, sorry Beanie Babies. Your time in the sun never really happened. But that might not be the case for your Nana’s beloved Precious Moments figurines.
Everyone remembers that one mom or grandma in the neighborhood who had a display cabinet chock full of these doe-eyed, porcelain figurines. You couldn’t play with them. You couldn’t touch them. Some of them played music. They all had a theme or were part of a collection (usually a religious one and they were also very, very white). And they were precious. Well, now they might actually be worth a decent amount of money.
Today, there’s a booming online market for classic Precious Moments memorabilia, and one figurine in particular could be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
“God Loveth a Cheerful Giver” is part of the original 21 Precious Moments collectibles, released back in 1979. It’s a cute kid with a wagon of cute puppies. And it’s currently listed on eBay for $225. It originally retailed for $15.
While $225 is nothing to sneer at, one antique collector tells TODAY that the figurine “has had valuations placed on it in excess of $2,000,” said Paul Burton, a spokesperson for Woolvey Fine Antiques & Collectibles.
A few other Precious Moments collectibles are listed anywhere from $85-$340. This set, “Bless Those Who Serve Their Country,” is a set of six listed at $200.
This cute figurine of two children on a see-saw, “Together We Go Through Ups and Downs,” is listed for $280.
If you’re looking for big money, if you or anyone in your family has an entire collection of the “Original 21” set, you could potentially sell them all for thousands of dollars.
If you’ve got any Precious Moments lying around, especially any of the above or figurines that are part of a collection or set, you’re more likely to get a better return on investment. Check your attics and your china cabinets (or, more realistically, your mom’s/aunt’s/Nana’s house) and if any of these figurines are in good condition, you might be in luck.
Be sure to clean it well and make sure it doesn’t have any chips or cracks if you want top dollar, Burton says. Wash them gently with mild, soapy water and allow them to dry thoroughly.
Now, start rifling through all of your family’s ’90s memorabilia or keep an eye out the next time you’re perusing the goods at a local yard sale — you never know what could fetch you a few hundred bucks on eBay.