Bobbleheads Get The Nod From Collectors
By Kevin Reed
They won't be appearing on any baseball cards and major league club owners are unwilling to offer up mega-million dollar contracts for their services. Even prospects for enshrinement in the hall of fame at Cooperstown are as remote as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays pulling off a world series victory.
But those shortcomings have not prevented them from becoming a favorite among fans at ballparks across the nation - even if the players in question are just 7 inches tall.
Small in stature but big draws at the turnstiles, bobbleheads have become the hottest collectibles in sports and a major bonanza for teams with slumping attendance who are always on the look out for the next big promotional item to pull in fans.
Also referred to as "bobbing heads" or "nodders", bobblehead dolls have come a long way from their earlier incarnation when they were popular at stadium souvenir stands in the 1960's and 70's and made of paper-mache.
Newer poly-resin and ceramic models are now built to last - all the more of an insentive to rabid collectors who flock to games to get their hands on the figurines that feature likenesses of their favorite players.
Just how popular the tiny titans have become is reflected in the big league box office where the give-aways can generate an 80% jump in ticket sales with fans gathering in lines up to 13 hours before the gates open.
Not that bobbleheads can't be obtained outside sports venues - larger toy stores readily keep them in stock - but in-stadium promotionals, because of the limited number created of each figure, coupled with their distribution being restricted to one day only and the custom-packaging which often bears a stamp signifying the date of release have ignited a much hotter demand.
How hot? Game-issued bobbleheads routinely pop up on internet auction sites within hours of being given away, often fetching bids of more than $100. One such auction of a complete set of Minnesota Twins bobbleheads of Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett recently sold for $405 on eBay.
The mania began in 1999 when the Giants offered a Willie Mays bobblehead to fans in commemoration of their 40th season in San Francisco. Other teams quickly picked up on the gimick; during the 2000 season, six clubs were sponsoring the giveaway. This year 22 of the 30 major league teams will be handing out nodders of their own.
The popularity of bobbleheads hasn't gone unnoticed by other professional sports either, with a number of NFL, NBA and NHL teams coming on board along with the Woman's National Basketball Association. Prototypes are also in development for the PGA golf tour as well as for over 40 college mascots.
Major manufacturers of the dolls, Alexander Global Promotions of Bellevue, Wash., contracts with 21 major league teams and Bensussen Deutsch and Associates,Inc. in Woodville, Wash., which supplies 16 MLB teams credit the bobblehead craze to a combination of retro appeal among baby boomers mixed with the instant collectability factor created by the limited ammount produced. So far, there has been more than enough business to go around to keep both companies busy, with orders ranging up to 50,000 for a single promotion and teams paying between $2-$4 per doll.
Kitschy charm aside, the upsurge has also prompted a greater demand for quality and a more realistic appearance, from the stubble on the face of the Barry Bonds model to the musculature likeness of Oakland Athletics star Jason Giambi and the scar on the forehead of Orlando Magic guard Darrell Armstrong.
It takes up to four to five months to prepair and manufacture a typical bobblehead with as many as 20 photographs taken of an athlete to insure that the one-pound, hand-painted dolls are as lifelike as possible.
In some instances, the attention to detail can seem a little too real.
"I've already got a big head," remarked NBA star Grant Hill upon seeing his likeness in nodder form. "and it makes my head look even bigger".
About the Author:
A native of San Diego, California, I now make my home in Illinois with my wife and two daughters and work as a freelance writer. Suite 101 has been a part of my " favorites" list from the day I first ran across it and became a member. I look forward to joining the ranks of these talented editors and bringing a bit of a fun and interesting subject to share with everyone.
Article courtesy of Suite101.com.
