Precious Moments
DOLL TAG HISTORY
Information by Jan Kropenick and Kristi Schult
Jonathan & David, Inc.
produced only nine 16" dolls. The front of the 1 3/4" x 3
1/4" white tag depicts two angels on a cloud, "But Love Goes On
Forever." Inside the tag, you will find the doll's name with a
special message to the collector. "Deep in the heart of the
Philippines, young Bible school students spend part of their day producing
these 'Happiness in the Lord' dolls. Without this financial
assistance they would not be able to complete their education and go into
their desired ministries. The Jonathan & David Company of
the Philippines began in 1987 when Bill Beil and Sam Butcher became
acquainted with a small Bible college in the city of Iloilo, located on
the Panay Island. They discovered 33 students were dropping out of
school due to the lack of sufficient funds. It was then that these
two men decided to start a company for the sole purpose of supporting
these students. These warm and beautiful dolls are the fruit of
their labor. Carefully designed and produced with so much love, they
are sure to win their way into the hearts of children everywhere."
None of these dolls has a date printed on them.
In 1989, Precious Moments
Country, Inc. changed all white tags to measure 2 5/8" x 3
1/4". The Blue Missy and Pink Missy had a picture of a Precious
Moments girl holding a bouquet of flowers with "Missy" on the
front of it. She carried the same message on the inside as the
Jonathan & David doll tags.
The bride doll Jessi, which was
introduced in 1989, had a picture of a bride and Jessie on the front of
the tags.
The 2 1/8" x 2 3/4"
white tag had the girl with a goose on the front of it, but with no
name. The message inside of the tag is: "It is without question
that Asia's finest sewers are found in the Philippine Islands."
"When Mr. Samuel Butcher visited the Philippines for the first time, he was greatly impressed by the skill of Hongos in the region of Panay. As a result, he established a factory that offered work for needy students and provided Precious Moments dolls for the States. However, because of a growing demand for the dolls, he later transferred to Manila to better accommodate the orders. Now, to continue with his desire to provide education to the needy, much of the Precious Moments Doll's revenue is used to provide scholarships and vocational opportunities for students throughout the country."
Ozark Annie and Ozark Andy were
introduced without tags, but shortly thereafter they were given miniature
doll catalog tags. Her pigtails can identify (the first Ozark
Annie.)
Jenny and Jordan were first
issued with the Goose Girl tag and later, before retiring, had the
miniature catalog tag.
In 1989, Precious Moments
Country, Inc. introduced the 9" dolls for the on-going series,
Children of the World. They were first introduced without tags, but
in 1991 they were given miniature catalog Children of the World
tags. In 1993, they were given individual satchel tags with their
own names on them.
In 1992, the dolls began to carry
the year they were produced. This helps identify Children of the
World dolls that have been in production over the past five years.
The date is imprinted on the doll's back, neck or hairline. Prior to
this time, it read, "Made in the Philippines, Precious Moments,
Samuel Butcher Co. USA."
All dolls began to have their own
individual tags in 1993. Many times the doll tag will give you additional
information concerning the doll. For example, Casey, the Precious
Moments baseball player, is not dressed in the usual burgundy and white
Precious Moments Chapel colors. Casey was born on July 4th and he is
wearing the appropriate colors for that day. The Jessi and Baby Lisa
tag is unique as it carries Baby Lisa's birth certificate on the
inside. Phillip has a certificate that can be framed for
display.
The American Indian doll
collection tag is also a certificate that is found on the inside of the
tag. At the bottom of this certificate the doll's number in the line
of production is given.
The Dustin and Lindsay doll tags
have the picture of the real children on them. These dolls were available
only at the Chapel, and were made for the 1995 Christmas Collector's
Weekend.
The Garden of Friends series has
a "watering can" tag, stating 1st, 2nd or 3rd edition. The
tag gives the month, doll's name and the saying, "Where friendship
blooms forever."
The Jewel Doll series tag
features a foil stamp to match the color of the jewel. Sam's
Biblical interpretation of the gem is on the inside of the tag.
The following animals wear a
white oval plastic tag embossed in gold: (15" and 21") Charlie
Bear, Letty Bear, Landon Bear, Edmond Bear, Eyvette Bear, Grant Bear in
stocking, Chris Bear in stocking, and Bailey Bunny. There are seven
animals in current production that wear white oval paper tags:
(48") Charlie, Bride Bear, Groom Bear, Snowball Bear with vest,
Parker Plaid Bear, Dillon Denim Bear, and Colton Corduroy Bear.
The Precious Pals debuted in
September 1997. Six animals were chosen from the Precious Moments videos
to begin the series. They have a 1"x1" blue and white tag.
Inside the tag is a poem for each animal and tells what video the animal
represents. The back of the tag states the name and item number.
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Gill, the Fish, is a special
Precious Pal give to collector's who registered for the 1997 Licensee
Event in July - August 1997. He was limited to 1,750 pieces and was
completely distributed. Gill has a 1"x2" white and blue tag with
Gill's poem on the back.
The
"Precious Moments" trademark is the property of Precious
Moments, Inc., Licensee Precious Moments Company.
© 1999-2001 All rights reserved. No part of Precious Moments Company may
be copied or re-used without express written consent.