Time to start digging through some of your family's specially kept items,Esthen Exchange there could be a beloved collectible in there worth some unexpected cash.

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.

The Love One Another figurine that is from the “Original 21” collection made in 1978 is the only collectible that has not been retired. The figurine displays the bond between two children sitting on a tree stump. Showing the connection of two people became one of the goals of Precious Moments, according to one of the company's founders, Sam Butcher

Love One Another figurine's history

According to the Precious Moments website, Sam Butcher's illustration of the Love One Another figurine came in to fruition after a trip to Nagoya, Japan.

While Butcher met with master sculptor Yasuhei Fujioka San, he expressed how he wanted his drawing to come to life. Yasuhei took his drawing and made it into a sculpture.

After many hours of work and versions of the figurine, Yasuhei and Butcher finally created the figurine that represented a friendship without words, a friendship that the two created despite their language barriers.

When describing the friendship that the two created, Butcher expressed respect for Master Yashuei and the bond they had for a mutual goal.

“I don’t feel we are dealing with business. I am dealing with an artist who can relate to me heart-to-heart," Butcher said in the website's blog post. "It’s as if we would go off into our own little world. Only God could have created a relationship such as ours.”

How much can you get for Precious Moment collectibles?

Precious Moments is still manufacturing new figurines, but fans who pick up more recent designs will have to wait a while for them to appreciate. Collectible items that are making the big bucks are vintage, in good condition and generally rare.

According to an article by Don't Waste Your Money:

• A version of the Make A Joyful Noise figurine sold for $409 a few years ago on eBay. It’s now being sold for $649 by one seller.
• In February 2019, a rare 2010 edition Disney Cinderella horse-drawn carriage piece was sold for $1,500.
• One of the Original 21 designs, the God Loveth A Cheerful Giver figurine sold for $275 in 2017. One seller on eBay is currently selling one signed by Sam Butcher for $825.

Complete Precious Moments collections been sold for close to $15,000 but many of those include certificates of authenticity and have been signed by Butcher.