Let’s begin with a short history of bobbleheads. 2000 : Bobbleheads seemed to be 20th century relic by the turn of the century until a promotion by the San Francisco Giants brought the bobblehead back to the public eye. The Giants offered a Willie Mays bobblehead to the first 20,000 visitors on May 9th to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Candlestick Park, which was the last year of the Giants playing at that stadium. New variations of the bobblehead were made including the mini-bobblehead, bobble computer sitters, bobblehead banks, and even bobblehead air fresheners. The Guinness Book of World Record for largest bobblehead was set for a bobblehead in the likeness of TV show host Chuck Woolery. The bobblehead weighed 900 pounds, was 11 feet tall and was originally displayed at the McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.
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.
The first known mentioning of the bobblehead doll is in Nikolai Gogol’s 1842 short story “The Overcoat” where one of the characters is said to looks like one. It is also believed that moder bobblehead dolls originate from 18th century Germany where they were made of ceramic. These dolls in turn originate from Ancient Japanese and Chinese string dolls. Modern bobblehead dolls were first made from paper-mache, ceramic and plastic. 20th century bobblehead dolls were first made in 1920s. New York Knicks basketball player bobblehead was produced trhen but interest in them waned by 1930s and didn’t renew until 1950s.
When collecting anything, it is always good to be aware of the price points. Some bobbleheads can command insane amounts, but depending on the total production and the subject depicted, mosst can be found for just a few dollars. Collectors normally focus on one particular team or period, but it can be fun just to browse for random bobbleheads that catch your attention. Upon release, values tend to spike, but once the initial interest subsides, and assuming the supply has not been depleted, deals can be found on almost any bobblehead. Whether you can spend $10 per bobblehead, or thousands, there are plenty to go around for all budgets.
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 extra details at custom bobblehead online store.