A bobblehead, also known by nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible figurine. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a spring or hook [1] in such a way that a light tap will cause the head to move around, or "bobble," hence the name. [2]
During the seventeenth century, figurines of Buddha and other religious figures called "temple nodders" were produced in Asia. [3] The earliest known Western reference to a bobblehead is thought to be in Nikolai Gogol's 1842 short story "The Overcoat," in which the main character's neck was described as being "like the necks of plaster cats that wag their heads." [4] During the nineteenth century, bisque porcelain bobbleheads were made in limited quantities for the US market. [3] Many of the bobbleheads in the US were produced in Germany, with an increase in imports during the 1920s and 1930s. [5] By the 1950s, bobbleheads had a substantial surge in popularity, with items made of either plastic or bisque porcelain. [3]
By 1960, Major League Baseball (MLB) produced a series of papier-mâché Bobblehead dolls, one for each team, all with the same cherubic face, and a few select players over time. [6] The World Series held that year brought the first player-specific baseball bobbleheads, for Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Willie Mays, still all with the same face. [7] Over the next decade, bobbleheads were also made of ceramic. [8] Within a few years, they would be produced for other sports [9] as well as cartoon characters. [10] One of the most famous bobbleheads of all time also hails from this era: the Beatles bobblehead set, [11] which is a valuable collectible today. [5]
The subsequent increase in popularity was in the late 1990s. [12] Although older bobbleheads such as the baseball teams and the Beatles were sought after by collectors during this period, new bobblehead dolls were uncommon. Prompting their resurgence were cheaper manufacturing processes, and the primary bobblehead material switched, this time from ceramic to plastic. Making bobbleheads in the limited numbers necessary to become viable collectibles was now possible. On August 2, 1997, the Birmingham Barons gave away the Barons Bobblehead Doll Bobbleheads at a game. [13] The first MLB team to offer a bobblehead giveaway was the San Francisco Giants, which distributed 35,000 Willie Mays head nodders at their May 9, 1999 game. [14]
The variety of bobbleheads has grown to include even relatively obscure popular culture figures and notable people. [15] [16] The new millennium brought a new type of bobblehead toy. This mini-bobblehead was two or three inches tall and used for gifts in some packaged foods. Post Cereals packaged 22 million mini-bobble heads of MLB players with its cereal before opening day in 2002. [17] [18]
On November 18, 2014, it was announced that the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum would open in 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum held a preview exhibit at RedLine Milwaukee from January 7, 2016, to April 30, 2016, [19] which showcased the largest public display of bobbleheads in history. [20] The 2000s also saw the rise of a competitive market for personalized, on-demand bobbleheads, typically 6–7 inches tall, from several online vendors. [21] In 2015, the Pope Francis bobblehead became so popular that a nationwide shortage was reported. [22]
January 7, 2015, was the inaugural National Bobblehead Day in the US. [23] In 2016, the Guinness Book of World Records mark for the world's largest bobblehead was set at 15 feet, 4 inches tall. Named "Goldie," St. Bernard, the mascot of Applied Underwriters, was created for Applied Underwriters, designed by Nate Wells, and constructed by Dino Rentos and BobbleHeads.com. [24]
Thanjavur dolls are a type of Indian bobblehead doll known as "Thanjavur Thalayatti Bommai" in the Tamil language, meaning "Tanjore Head-Shaking Doll." They are a native art form in the Thanjavur region of Tamil Nadu. These dolls are usually 6" to 12" tall (15 to 30 cm). They are made of clay or wood and painted over in bright colors, and they are often dressed up in fancy clothes. [25] They form part of an elaborate display of dolls known as "Golu (kolu)," exhibited in Indian houses during the "Dasara (Navaratri)" festival in September-October. [26] These dolls are examples of how to start separating the movements of three distinct parts of the body, namely the head, torso, and hip and skirt parts.
A different version of these, 'Thalayatti Bommai,' is the king and queen versions. The purpose is to show that the semi-circular bottoms, filled with sands, do not topple with a structure that is sharply raised, a mode that is used in building the Thanjavur Peruvudaiyar Kovil. The recent excavations near the temple's walls show bases filled with sands of different colors, indicating that the temple's architecture has much more planning than the simple stacking of heavy stones.
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division. The team's name is derived from the city's association with the brewing industry and has been used by several other baseball teams that have called Milwaukee home. Since 2001, the Brewers have played their home games at American Family Field, which was named Miller Park through the 2020 season and has a seating capacity of 41,900 people.
A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls go back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They have been made as crude, rudimentary playthings as well as elaborate art. Modern doll manufacturing has its roots in Germany, from the 15th century. With industrialization and new materials such as porcelain and plastic, dolls were increasingly mass-produced. During the 20th century, dolls became increasingly popular as collectibles.
The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They previously played at Midway Stadium from 1993 to 2014.
The Lowell Spinners were a baseball team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. With Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, Lowell was not selected to continue in affiliated baseball.
Thomas Anthony Henke, nicknamed "the Terminator", is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared closers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, pitching for the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays (1985–1992), and St. Louis Cardinals (1995).
Robert George Uecker is an American former professional baseball catcher who is the primary broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
William Grady Little is an American former manager in Major League Baseball, currently working in the front office of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007. He was inducted into the Kinston, North Carolina, Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, Charlotte Baseball Hall of Fame 1985 and was inducted into the Hagerstown Suns Hall of Fame on April 13, 2009.
Salvatore Leonard Bando was an American professional baseball player and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1966 to 1981, most prominently as the captain of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974.
Glenn Dee Hubbard is an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics from 1978 to 1989. He was an MLB All-Star in 1983. Hubbard coached for the Braves from 1999 to 2010.
Dewayne Staats is an American sports broadcaster who has been the television play-by-play commentator for the Tampa Bay Rays since their inception in 1998. He is currently teamed with color commentator Brian Anderson.
Nohohon Zoku (のほほん族) are a range of fist-sized bobble head figurines made by the Japanese toy company Tomy. They first went on sale in Japan on July 18, 2002. They are distinguished by a large spherical head with a wide smile and dots for eyes. The purpose of the dolls is stress relief. This has made them popular as novelty items in offices. Nohohon are marketed as Sunshine Buddies in English speaking countries.
Golu is the festive display of dolls and figurines in South India during the autumn festive season, particularly around the multiday Navaratri festival of Hinduism. These displays are typically thematic, narrating a legend from a Hindu text to court life, weddings, everyday scenes, and miniature kitchen utensils. They are also known as Golu, Gombe Habba, Bommai golu, or Bommala Koluvu.
Starting Lineup is a brand of sports action figures originally produced from 1988 to 2001, first by Kenner and later by Hasbro. They were conceived by Pat McInally, himself a former professional American football player with the Cincinnati Bengals. The figures became very popular, and eventually included sports stars from baseball, football, basketball, and hockey; and, to a lesser extent, auto racing, boxing, track & field, skating, soccer, and golf. In the late 2010s, the figures made a comeback as a promotional item at several sporting events.
Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures licensed and limited pop culture collectibles, best known for its licensed vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces licensed plush, action figures, apparel, accessories and games. Founded in 1998 by Mike Becker and Claudia Becker, Funko was originally conceived as a small project to create various low-tech, nostalgia-themed toys. The company's first manufactured bobblehead was of the Big Boy restaurant mascot.
Roger Bossard is the head groundskeeper at Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox.
A Wackel-Elvis is a small, hanging dashboard figure designed to resemble musician and actor Elvis Presley. A prototype of the figure was first introduced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi in a series of television commercials which were broadcast in several European countries. The commercials were produced by the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi in 2001 to promote Audi's new continuously variable "multitronic" transmission. Due to a high demand by Elvis fans after publication of the commercials, 15,000 Wackel-Elvis figures were produced and sold at the Audi factory outlet store.
Hank, also known as Hank T. Dog, was an unofficial mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. Believed to be a part-Bichon Frise mixed-breed of about two or three years of age, Hank was rescued by the Brewers when he wandered into their spring training facility before the start of the 2014 MLB season.
Kewpie is a brand of dolls and figurines that were conceived as comic strip characters by cartoonist Rose O'Neill. The illustrated cartoons, appearing as baby cupid characters, began to gain popularity after the publication of O'Neill's comic strips in 1909, and O'Neill began to illustrate and sell paper doll versions of the Kewpies. The characters were first produced as bisque dolls in Waltershausen, Germany, beginning in 1912, and became extremely popular in the early 20th century.
National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum devoted to bobblehead dolls. It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The museum claims to have 10,000 different bobbleheads from around the world, including a life-size bobblehead. It is the only bobblehead-specific museum in the world.
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