Month: October 2012

Miami Marlins: The Largest Bobblehead Museum

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The largest public bobblehead display in the big leagues is in Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. The structure, labeled “The Bobblehead Museum,” is a glassed in, two-sided display case. The structure houses 609 bobbleheads. The case is well lit, so that every detail on every player is easy to see. Each shelf in the display has its own vibrating mechanism – so the head of every player is constantly bobbing! The display is meant to celebrate special moments and commemorate players with respect.

The Bobblehead Museum is meant to appeal to fans, and attracts many viewers. The collection includes Marlins players, mascots from around the major leagues, and baseball announcers from the past and the present. The museum has been a big hit and has become somewhat of a sight to see.

Five Fun Bobblehead Facts

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Bobbleheads are everywhere! Here are five facts that show how bobbleheads have been a part of culture for years!

  1. Bobbleheads originated in Germany. There were initially made of ceramic materials.
  2. The New York Knicks were the first sports team to use promotional bobbleheads. This happened in the 1920s!
  3. Lil Romeo has a song called “Bobblehead” that was an attempt to make fun of people whose dancing style reminded him of the nodding dolls.
  4. In 2003, the television show Futuramahad an episode where the cast travelled to an alternate dimension in which everyone was a bobblehead.
    1. In August 2004, minor league baseball teams held an event known as Bobblection Night in which the parks were giving away bobbleheads of the two presidential candidates, George W. Bush won the mock election!

Halloween Bobbleheads

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Halloween is just around the corner. That means it is time to bust out all the Halloween decorations! You have probably seen fake spider webs, skeletons, pumpkins, witches, and inflated ghosts befoer. This year spruce up your traditional Halloween decorations with a Halloween bobblehead!

A Halloween themed bobblehead is a great way to decorate your home this month. Trick-or-treaters and guests to your home will get a kick out of this untraditional take on Halloween decorations!

There are several things you could do with a Halloween bobblehead. You could make a ghost, witch, or devil. Or you could even create a custom bobblehead of a friend or family member dressed up in a Halloween costume.

The great thing about making a Halloween-themed bobblehead is that you can bring it out every year, making it a tradition in your home!

 

 

Whoopass – The History of the Bobblehead

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The bobblehead gained its popularity in the 1960s when Major League Baseball decided to begin using these dolls as promotional products for some of its teams and players. Back then these dolls had several different names including head nodders, head knockers, bobbing head dolls and wacky wobblers. Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Willie Mays were some of the first MLB player dolls that were ever created.

Let’s go back even further than that. The first bobblehead dolls, which were actually made in Japan by Lego, were hand painted onto paper-mache. These dolls were generic looking, usually just modeled after the same male in a different team uniform. Some dolls were modeled after team mascots.

Today the most sought after dolls are those that were made in 1960 – 1962. Bobbleheads from these years usually have a square or round orange or white bases. From 1962 – 1966, dolls had green bases and from 1967 to 1970 the bases were painted gold.  Below is a 1960’s Philadelphia Phillies bobble head doll with a round white base. The doll in the picture below is from a miniature series and has a magnet on the base, since it was common to place the doll on the dashboard of your vehicle.  You can see that the doll is of a more generic look male than one you would see today.

Looking for a new hobby?

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Bobblehead dolls first hit the market in the 1950s. Since then, they have grown in popularity and variety.  Consequently, they have become an extremely popular collectors item – and a great hobby to take on. Here are some tips on how to get started on your own collection.

Consider picking a theme for your collection. Since bobbleheads have so much variety you may want to make your collection very specific. Some examples include antiques, baseball or other sports figures, popular TV characters, musicians, or even classic actors and actresses from past decades.

Let all of your friends and family know you are starting a bobblehead collection.  Whenever it is a gift-giving time, they will know exactly what to get you and they’ll know you will love and appreciate their gift.

Check the websites of your favorite sports team or television series to see if you can find deals on bobblehead collectors’ items. Sometimes there will be promotion discounts, so it is important to check back regularly. You can also search online for specialty bobblehead shops that do custom jobs. Additionally, keep an eye out for bobbleheads when you are on vacation, in flea markets, garage sales, etc.

Make connections with other bobblehead collectors. You may be gifted the same bobblehead twice and want to make a trade online. The most important thing is to have fun! This is a great activity to take on that can provide lots of entertainment and enjoyment for you, your family, and your friends!