They are big-eyed, beautiful figurines and while Precious Moments collectibles for some, are just that, collectibles, for others, they are so much more.
"It just seems like every year they multiply, it would go up to a hundred, two hundred and we are up to about 18 thousand pieces now" says Leon Seifert.
Leon Siefert is from Delia, Kansas. Peggy Lambert is from Winthrop Harbor, Illinois. Both of them came to Carthage, along with about 500 other people, for a collectors reunion.
"We call them family reunions and believe me that's what we think of them as" says Peggy Lambert.
Lambert doesn't just own the collectibles, she wears her passion, with a tattoo.
"It's called, turn your eyes upon Jesus and I had it done just because I thought that it was respectful" says Lambert.
Siefert and his wife Connie, together, have bought and sold about 18,000 pieces, not including their personal collection of 4,000.
"You can't have everything but we try to get everything and we really like the rare pieces or the odd stuff, we really like looking for those" says Seifert.
Officials say that collectors from all over the worlds have been coming to this event since 1990 to get their own special one of a kind pieces.
"We actually have an individual here from the Philippines, we have Hawaii, we have Canada, we have Florida, we have California, we have Texas, just all over the United States, there are precious moments fans everywhere" says the Precious Moments National Club Manager, Mishelle Hoover.
Lambert says that the reason many keep coming back, isn't just because of the collectibles.
"In a strange way the figurines almost became secondary to meeting up with friends, we of course still buy the figurines but we look forward to seeing the friends" says Lambert.
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