Let’s start with a brief history of bobbleheads. 2010 : A total of 334 bobbleheads have been given out as promotional items at major league ballparks. The Giants, the organization that resurrected the craze, have done the most promotions since 2010: 34 in that span, 77 total since 1999. An unofficial world’s tallest bobblehead was made by 14 year-old Henry Ermer from Brooklyn, NY standing at 16 feet tall. The Marlins opened their ballpark with a Bobblehead Museum featuring 588 bobbleheads, representing every team in baseball. The display slightly vibrates so the bobbleheads are perpetually bobbing.
How are bobbleheads made? There are all types of bobble heads and they’re made from several types of materials. Generally, the most common bobble heads are made from resin and plastic. There are also ceramic and wooden bobble heads, but they are in the minority of the products currently produced. The resin bobble head dolls are solid and generally allow for greater details and finer contouring of the body. Plastic bobble heads are cast from a mold, but not all plastic bobbing heads are the same. Some styles rely purely on the mold as the entire product with the appropriate paint colors added. Our most popular bobble heads use a plastic inner shell that are not solid and are covered with felt cloth. The felt adds a layer of detail, a layer of feeling, and an additional layer of strength to the bobble head. With our bobble head animals, you’ll find that the eyes are made of plastic and some vary from completely solid colors to an eye complete with color and pupil.
Among the most popular bobble head dolls, bobble head dogs continue to lead the way. The bobble head animals are popular due to the love of various animals, their compact size, and the ability to place the bobble head on the car dashboard or back window. In the United States, the availability of bobble head dogs have been limited greatly over the past several years. As of late 2013, one of the top producers of ceramic bobble head dogs discontinued their product line.
In 1960, Major League Baseball decided to give away a series of papier-mache bobblehead dolls for each team with the same cherubic face and imported from Japan. That same year World Series was held and first bobblehead dollswere made specifically for players but they still had the same faces. The players that had bobbleheads made for them were Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Willie Mays. Beside of players, teams made and gave away as souvenirs bobblehead dolls in the shape of their team mascots. When material of making bobblehead dolls was changed from papier-mache to ceramic they were made in likeness of players of other sports too and of cartoon characters. The Beatles bobblehead set, which was made in the next decade is still a very valuable collectable. In time production and interest for bobblehead dolls again waned and by 1970s it almost disappeared completely.
With newer bobbleheads, condition is not normally a huge concern, but it is smart to inspect images or check the description for any mention of damage. However, vintage bobbleheads require more scrutiny. Since they can be anywhere from 30-60 years in age, it is unlikely they will ever be in perfect condition. You still want to be aware of any problems before you purchase the item, so don’t be afraid to ask for additional images. Bobbleheads are not limited to just athletes or sporting events. Basically, if you can think of a subject, there is likely a bobblehead available. One of the most popular mainstream options, Funko Pop! figures are technically bobbleheads. You can even have a custom figure made for yourself.
Established in the year 2008, we, “YIZHUO Arts & Crafts Co., Ltd” is a well know handmade bobblehead factory specialized in manufacturing and exporting personalized bobbleheads. The products offered by us in manufacture under the qualified sculptors using high quality material and with exquisite workmanship. Our artists understand how important it is to capture one’s little cuteness in unique and creative ways. See more details on bobbleheadsme online store.
