Let’s start with a small history of bobbleheads. Writer Nikolai Gogol first referenced bobblehead dolls in 1842 in the Russian short story “The Overcoat.” He described the main character, Akaky, as having a neck, which was, “like the neck of plaster cats which wag their heads.” Popularity was growing for bobbleheads in not just sports. The Beatles bobblehead set was made and became one of the most famous and rarest of all time. It is still a valuable collectible today.
How are bobbleheads made? We begin with the head of the bobble head doll. The body is made of hollow plastic that is covered by felt cloth. On the head, a metal clasp is connected to the downward portion of the head to connect into the bobble head dog’s body. At the far end of the body is a bolt that acts as a weight for the head. When attached to the body, this allows for the bobble head to sway and bob around. Without the weighed bolt at the end, the bobble head would simply rise to the top of the body in a fixed position. Next up is the body of the bobble head doll. The body, which in this case is about 4″ (10.16cm) in length, is made of a hollow core like the head, but the mold is not enclosed in order to allow space for the head piece to attach to the body. To attach to the body, a small metal anchor is attached inside the upper portion of the body to allow the clasp from the head to rest in the center of the anchor. When the head is attached to the body, the bobble head bobs and glides with ease. The movement can be endless as long as the bobble head doll is in contact with motion to jostle the parts enough to cause movement.
In June 2012, the TBS talk show ‘Conan’ went to film in Chicago and produced one of the largest bobble head dolls ever documented. The Conan O’Brien Bobble Head stood at 16 feet tall! In 2016, there were many terrific MLB bobble head giveaways that focus on team mascots to legendary Dodgers broadcast Vin Scully. Both major league and minor league baseball heavily use bobble head doll promotions to drive attendance. For 2017, MLB teams plan no let down in the size and scope of bobble heads. Teams from the Mets with their Noah Syndergaard Thor themed bobble head to the Angels with three different Mike Trout bobble heads throughout the season aren’t letting up with promotions throughout the league each and every week.
When cheaper materials appeared bobblehead dolls began resurfacing again. In 1990s they were manufactured from plastic and collectability was achieved by limiting of the manufactured series. San Francisco Giants were the first baseball team who reintroduced bobblehead dolls as giveaways at their game on May 9 of 1999. Modern bobbleheads are so-called mini-bobbleheads which are 5 to 8 cm in height and are often used as prizes in cereal boxes. Today bobbleheads are made of solid, durable plastic, poly-resin, and flocked which means that they are made from plastic shell covered with fuzz-like flocked layer. Bobblehead dolls are still much sought collectables.
Alexander Malcolm would become one of the largest bobblehead sellers and a key figure in the history of bobbleheads, producing 48-49 million of these sentimental nodding heads. But he did not know it at the time when he sat down at a business meeting with the San Franciscio Giants during the 1990s. He was just hoping to sell some sort of promotional item for them. When Malcolm asked what they were looking for, The San Francisco Giants replied, “bobbleheads”. Malcolm agreed to provide thousands of Willie Mays bobbleheads to the professional baseball organization to be passed out to their fans for free. Malcolm went to work, but did not know he could get away with using the traditional cartoonish boy bobblehead. Instead, he made a much more real version of Mays (although Mays would disagree). So, on May 9, 1999, to celebrate the anniversary of Candlestick Park, the last year the Giants would play at this stadium by the bay, 20,000 visitors each received the Willie Mays bobblehead. It was a success! The crowd loved the semi-life-like yet cartoonish novelty item. That one game made way for the bobblehead era revival. The next year, eight Major League Baseball teams had bobblehead giveaways. And Malcolm’s small business in the 1990s flourished into the global enterprise it is today.
Having established a long-term cooperation with UPS/DHL for many years, shipping is done quickly & professionally to ensure that the bobblehead dolls reach the customers in time. Before ship, all the products go under rigorous packed and examined by the expertise quality controllers. We do accept bulk orders, special prices can be worked out for bulk orders for Wholesalers and Retailers Resellers. We are seeking for the long-term business partner like you. See extra details on custom bobbleheads online store.