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title: National Bobblehead Day
description: Discover the fascinating world of bobbleheads and their quirky charm as collectors worldwide celebrate National Bobblehead Day on January 7th. 
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#### Shaking Up the World with Quirky Collectibles!

National Bobblehead Day celebrates those wonderfully agreeable little figures that spend their entire lives nodding at us without once asking an awkward question. Observed every January 7, the day recognizes bobbleheads as everything from sports memorabilia and promotional giveaways to valuable collectibles and wonderfully silly representations of celebrities, politicians, fictional characters and historical figures. Put one on your desk and you've finally found someone prepared to support every decision you make.

#### What Is National Bobblehead Day?

National Bobblehead Day is celebrated annually on January 7 as a day devoted to bobblehead dolls, bobblehead collecting and the remarkable history behind these instantly recognizable figures. Although modern bobbleheads are closely associated with baseball and other professional sports, their history stretches back centuries, long before anybody thought of giving away 20,000 miniature baseball players at the stadium gate.

The modern celebration was created by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The organization announced National Bobblehead Day in 2014, with the first observance taking place on January 7, 2015. The date has since become an opportunity for collectors to display favorite pieces, manufacturers to introduce new bobbleheads and people everywhere to acknowledge that an enormous head mounted on a spring can somehow become a treasured possession.

Bobbleheads have been called bobbing-head dolls, nodders, wobblers and various other names over the years. Whatever you call them, the basic principle remains delightfully uncomplicated: make the head disproportionately large, attach it so that it moves independently of the body, give the figure a little tap and stand back while Abraham Lincoln, Aaron Judge or Darth Vader appears to enthusiastically agree with you.

![A collection of baseball bobbleheads featuring legendary players displayed on wooden shelves alongside baseball memorabilia and vintage-style signs.](https://marktheday.info/images/mark-the-days/january/jan-07/national-bobblehead-day-2-2.webp "Baseball Bobblehead Collection")

#### The Surprisingly Long History of Bobbleheads

Bobbleheads may look like thoroughly modern novelty collectibles, but the idea behind them is centuries old. Early nodding-head figures appeared in Asia, and by the 18th and 19th centuries similar figures had attracted attention in Europe. Among the best-known predecessors were Chinese nodding-head figures imported into Europe, where their moving heads fascinated collectors.

References to bobblehead-like figures also appeared in literature. Nikolai Gogol's 1842 short story The Overcoat describes a character whose neck movement is compared with plaster cats that wag their heads. Apparently, even before modern bobblehead manufacturing existed, somebody had already noticed that a head wobbling around independently was worth mentioning.

During the 19th century, ceramic nodding figures became increasingly familiar decorative objects. Some depicted people, while others portrayed animals. These weren't necessarily the sports bobbleheads we recognize today, but the central idea was firmly established: a relatively stationary body supporting a head designed to move.

Then baseball discovered them - and once baseball gets hold of a collectible, matters tend to escalate.

#### How Baseball Made Bobbleheads Famous

Baseball and bobbleheads have become so closely connected that it is difficult to imagine one without the other—although, admittedly, the game itself functioned reasonably well before thousands of spectators started arriving at ballparks hoping to receive a tiny player with an enormous head. The relationship developed during the 20th century, when baseball-themed nodding dolls began appearing as souvenirs and collectibles. By the 1950s, generic baseball bobbleheads were becoming popular, often representing a team rather than a particular player.

The craze really gathered momentum around the time of the 1960 World Series. A series of papier-mâché baseball bobbleheads representing Major League teams helped introduce the figures to a much wider audience. These early baseball bobbleheads were quite different from the detailed resin collectibles familiar today. Many shared essentially the same face and body, with uniforms and team colors doing most of the work of identifying who the little fellow was supposed to support. Individuality was not necessarily their strongest feature, but enthusiasm certainly was.

Manufacturers soon realized that baseball fans didn't merely want a generic player—they wanted the stars. Bobbleheads depicting famous Major League Baseball players began appearing during the early 1960s, including legends such as Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roger Maris and Roberto Clemente. These early player bobbleheads are now particularly interesting to collectors because they represent the period when the bobblehead began changing from a novelty souvenir into recognizable baseball memorabilia.

The construction of those vintage bobbleheads also makes surviving examples rather remarkable. Many were made from papier-mâché or ceramic materials rather than today's more durable plastics and resins. A modern bobblehead can usually survive a minor encounter with the edge of a desk. A vintage ceramic example meeting the floor can transform an enthusiastic collector into a person suddenly interested in glue, restoration and several new words that shouldn't be repeated around children.

Baseball proved ideal for the bobblehead because the sport already had a deeply established culture of collecting. Fans collected baseball cards, programs, autographs, pennants, photographs, balls and virtually anything else connected with their favorite teams and players. Bobbleheads added something different. Instead of placing another flat card into an album, fans could put a miniature version of a favorite player on a bedroom shelf, office desk or mantelpiece and watch him nod approvingly whenever someone walked past too quickly.

Their popularity declined during the 1970s, and for a time the great baseball bobblehead craze appeared to have run its course. They never disappeared completely, but they were no longer the merchandising phenomenon they had once been. Baseball cards and other sports collectibles dominated much of the market, while the nodding figures waited patiently for another turn at bat.

That opportunity arrived decades later.

On May 9, 1999, the San Francisco Giants held a Willie Mays bobblehead promotion at Candlestick Park. The giveaway, honoring one of the greatest players in baseball history, became enormously popular and is widely credited with helping launch the modern era of MLB bobblehead giveaways. The Giants distributed thousands of Willie Mays figures to fans attending the game, demonstrating that an old collectible could become a remarkably effective modern ballpark promotion.

Other Major League Baseball teams took notice, and bobblehead giveaway nights rapidly spread around the league. Teams discovered something extremely useful: fans didn't merely enjoy receiving a bobblehead after buying a ticket. Many would specifically buy a ticket because a bobblehead was being given away. Suddenly, the promotional calendar became almost as interesting as the schedule itself.

The possibilities were practically unlimited. Star players received bobbleheads. Hall of Famers received bobbleheads. Managers, broadcasters and mascots received bobbleheads. Championship teams, memorable plays, anniversaries, unusual uniforms and famous moments could all be recreated as limited-edition collectibles. Some promotions became elaborate enough to feature multiple figures, stadium scenery or players frozen in recognizable poses.

That tradition remains a major part of baseball culture. Major League and Minor League teams continue to use bobblehead promotions to attract fans, commemorate players and celebrate team history. Limited quantities can make particular giveaways highly sought after, and collectors frequently watch promotional schedules well in advance to determine which games offer the figures they want.

The relationship has worked remarkably well for both sides. Baseball supplies generations of players, personalities, mascots and memorable moments for manufacturers to recreate, while bobbleheads give teams a promotional item fans genuinely want to keep.

And somewhere, on shelves across America, thousands of miniature baseball legends continue nodding in agreement that the umpire absolutely got that call wrong.

#### The Bobblehead Boom Fades

For all their popularity during the 1960s, bobbleheads eventually discovered one unfortunate truth about popular culture: today's must-have collectible can become tomorrow's thing sitting forgotten at the back of a closet.

By the early 1970s, the first great bobblehead boom was beginning to fade. The novelty that had helped make baseball bobbleheads so popular during the previous decade was wearing off, while the market for toys, sports memorabilia and collectibles was changing. Baseball cards remained firmly established with sports fans, and manufacturers were introducing an ever-growing selection of action figures, toys and licensed merchandise competing for both attention and pocket money.

There was also a practical problem. Many early bobbleheads were made from ceramic or papier-mâché, materials that were relatively fragile and increasingly expensive to manufacture and ship. A bobblehead with a large head balanced above a narrow neck was never exactly designed with rough handling in mind. Getting one safely from the factory to the store—and then surviving several years in a child's bedroom—could be an achievement worthy of its own trophy.

Changing manufacturing economics also worked against them. Producing detailed figurines from traditional materials required more labor than the increasingly common plastic toys flooding the marketplace. Plastic could be molded inexpensively, produced in enormous quantities and transformed into practically anything manufacturers imagined. Compared with brightly colored action figures with moving arms, accessories and vehicles, the traditional bobblehead had one principal trick.

Its head moved.

Admittedly, it performed that trick extremely well.

Popular culture was changing too. During the 1970s and 1980s, children and collectors were presented with an extraordinary assortment of new merchandise tied to movies, television programs, cartoons and major entertainment franchises. Action figures became a huge business, particularly as entertainment companies recognized the enormous potential of merchandising characters directly to young audiences. Bobbleheads, once an eye-catching novelty, suddenly looked rather old-fashioned beside toys capable of battling one another across the living-room carpet.

The sports memorabilia market was evolving at the same time. Baseball cards experienced enormous growth, autographed merchandise attracted collectors, and licensed clothing became increasingly important. Fans could demonstrate loyalty with jerseys, caps, jackets, pennants and countless other products. The humble baseball bobblehead no longer occupied the prominent place it had enjoyed during the previous decade.

Production declined considerably, but vintage bobbleheads never disappeared from the collecting world. The very fact that fewer were being produced helped older examples become increasingly interesting. Collectors continued searching flea markets, antique stores, sports memorabilia shows and garage sales for surviving figures, particularly early baseball bobbleheads representing famous teams and players.

Survival itself became part of their value. Papier-mâché and ceramic aren't especially forgiving materials, and bobbleheads contain a moving component practically inviting somebody to pick them up and give them a shake. Examples that survived decades without cracks, chips, broken necks, fading or enthusiastic childhood experimentation became increasingly desirable.

Original packaging made surviving examples even more attractive. A vintage bobblehead still accompanied by its original box could command considerably more attention from serious collectors than one that had spent twenty years wobbling around unprotected on Uncle Fred's bookshelf.

By the 1980s and early 1990s, bobbleheads occupied a curious position. They hadn't vanished, but neither were they mainstream promotional merchandise. To many people, they were nostalgic reminders of an earlier era of baseball souvenirs rather than contemporary collectibles. That period in the wilderness would eventually prove important. Bobbleheads had become sufficiently uncommon to feel fresh again.

Meanwhile, advances in manufacturing were solving some of the problems that had helped push them aside. Newer plastics and resin materials allowed manufacturers to produce detailed figures that were lighter, more durable and practical to manufacture in large quantities. Improved molding and painting techniques also meant that modern bobbleheads could actually resemble the people they were supposed to represent rather than looking like the same slightly startled fellow wearing different baseball uniforms. The ingredients for a comeback were falling into place.

All bobbleheads needed was somebody willing to take an old idea, introduce it to a new generation of baseball fans and discover whether people still wanted miniature athletes with oversized heads. As it turned out, they very much did.

#### The San Francisco Giants Bring Bobbleheads Back

One of the most important moments in modern bobblehead history came on May 9, 1999, when the San Francisco Giants held a Willie Mays bobblehead giveaway at Candlestick Park. The promotion proved enormously popular and is widely credited with helping ignite the modern bobblehead giveaway craze.

Manufacturing had changed considerably since the fragile ceramic figures of earlier decades. Modern bobbleheads could be produced from durable plastics and resin, making large promotional runs practical and considerably less likely to end with thousands of disappointed fans holding detached heads.

Professional sports teams noticed the enthusiasm and soon bobblehead giveaway nights were appearing throughout baseball. Teams discovered that fans weren't merely pleased to receive the figures—they would deliberately choose games based upon which bobblehead was being distributed. A baseball promotion had become a reason to buy a ticket.

The bobblehead was back.

![A dedicated bobblehead collector’s room packed from floor to ceiling with hundreds of sports, entertainment, historical, and pop culture bobbleheads displayed on shelves and in glass cases.](https://marktheday.info/images/mark-the-days/january/jan-07/national-bobblehead-day-2-3.webp "A huge collection of Bobbleheads made over many years.")

#### Bobblehead Giveaways Become Big Business

Once professional sports teams realized that fans would deliberately choose a game because a bobblehead was being handed out, the humble nodding figurine stopped being merely a souvenir and became a serious promotional tool.

Today, bobblehead giveaways are fixtures on promotional calendars throughout professional sports, with Major League Baseball particularly famous for them. Teams announce their giveaway schedules months in advance, often featuring star players, retired legends, mascots, championship celebrations and memorable moments from team history. For collectors, the promotional schedule can become almost as important as the season schedule. The question isn't simply, "Who are we playing Saturday?" It is also, "What are they giving us at the gate?"

Scarcity is an important part of the attraction. A stadium might hold tens of thousands of spectators while a particular MLB bobblehead giveaway is limited to the first 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 fans through the gates. That can produce long lines well before the game begins as determined collectors arrive early to make certain they receive one. Nobody wants to be the person who reaches the turnstile just in time to watch the fan immediately ahead receive the final bobblehead.

The figures themselves have also become far more sophisticated. Early promotional bobbleheads were relatively simple representations of players standing in uniform. Modern versions can depict athletes batting, pitching, catching, celebrating championships or recreating famous plays. Some incorporate stadium seats, scoreboards, trophies, team logos or pieces of recognizable ballpark scenery. Others feature multiple players on a single base or recreate a particular moment that fans instantly recognize.

Teams have also discovered that nostalgia sells extremely well. A bobblehead honoring a current superstar can draw a crowd, but so can one depicting a beloved player from decades earlier. Hall of Famers, retired favorites, legendary managers and broadcasters allow teams to connect different generations of fans. Grandpa may remember watching the player represented by the bobblehead while his grandson simply thinks the giant moving head looks terrific. Everybody wins.

Championships provide especially fertile ground for collectible sports bobbleheads. Players can be shown holding trophies, wearing championship uniforms or celebrating iconic moments from a postseason run. Anniversary seasons provide another opportunity, allowing teams to revisit famous rosters, uniforms and events from their history. A single anniversary can sometimes produce an entire series of bobbleheads, which is excellent news for the team and potentially alarming news for whatever shelf the collector intends to put them on.

Bobbleheads are no longer limited to the athletes themselves, either. Coaches, managers, owners, broadcasters and mascots have all received the oversized-head treatment. Teams have even celebrated memorable fans and local personalities. If someone has become sufficiently associated with a franchise, there is always the possibility that one day they will discover what they look like six inches tall with a spring in their neck.

Corporate sponsorship has helped turn giveaway nights into substantial marketing events. Businesses can sponsor the promotion, placing their name or branding on packaging while the team receives an item capable of encouraging attendance. The sponsor gains exposure, the club sells tickets and the fan leaves with a collectible.

That is considerably more effective than handing someone a refrigerator magnet.

Minor League Baseball has taken promotional creativity even further. Minor-league clubs have long been famous for imaginative theme nights and unusual giveaways, and bobbleheads fit perfectly into that tradition. Local heroes, unusual mascots, famous former players and wonderfully obscure pieces of team history can all become subjects. The smaller production numbers associated with some minor-league promotions can also make certain figures particularly appealing to dedicated collectors.

The business doesn't end when the final inning is played. Stadium giveaway bobbleheads frequently appear on the sports memorabilia secondary market, where collectors buy, sell and trade figures they missed. Online marketplaces have made it possible for a bobblehead distributed at a game in California to reach a collector in Florida—or anywhere else—within days.

Values vary enormously. Many giveaway bobbleheads remain inexpensive, while others become highly desirable because of limited production, the popularity of the player, an unusual design or the historical importance of the event being commemorated. A rookie who later becomes a superstar can suddenly make an old promotional figure much more interesting. A bobblehead connected with a championship, record-breaking performance or Hall of Fame player can likewise attract collectors years after it was distributed.

Condition matters as well. Serious collectors may want the original box, packaging and accompanying materials kept intact. A bobblehead that has never been removed from its packaging may appeal more strongly than one that spent ten years sitting beside someone's television accumulating dust, sunlight and occasional attention from the family cat.

For teams, the attraction of bobblehead promotions is easy to understand. They can increase attendance, generate publicity, attract sponsors, celebrate franchise history and strengthen the connection between fans and players. They can also turn an otherwise ordinary regular-season game into an event people plan to attend weeks or months beforehand.

For fans, they provide something tangible to take home. Long after the ticket has disappeared and the final score has been forgotten, the bobblehead remains on the shelf as a reminder of the game, the player and perhaps the person who went to the ballpark with them.

That combination of sports memorabilia, nostalgia, scarcity and sheer silliness has transformed the bobblehead giveaway into a surprisingly powerful piece of sports marketing. The player gets honored. The sponsor gets noticed. The team sells tickets. The collector gets another bobblehead.

And somewhere at home, another shelf begins quietly reconsidering its career choices.

#### Bobbleheads Beyond Baseball

Baseball may have established the bobblehead as a favorite piece of American sports memorabilia, but it certainly didn't keep the idea to itself. Sports bobbleheads now represent athletes from professional football, basketball, hockey, soccer, auto racing, wrestling, golf and numerous college sports. NFL quarterbacks, NBA superstars, NHL legends and championship-winning coaches have all been transformed into miniature versions of themselves, usually with heads considerably larger than anything their helmets were designed to accommodate.

Basketball has become particularly fertile territory for bobblehead collectors. NBA teams regularly celebrate star players, championship seasons, retired numbers and franchise legends with promotional figures. The same principle works beautifully in hockey, where players can be depicted holding the Stanley Cup, wearing classic uniforms or recreating memorable celebrations. Football bobbleheads might show a quarterback preparing to throw, a running back carrying the ball or a defensive player striking a familiar pose. The figures have become increasingly detailed, allowing manufacturers to capture uniforms, equipment and recognizable gestures that immediately identify the athlete being portrayed.

The bobblehead phenomenon has also traveled comfortably into soccer, college sports and motorsports. Famous soccer players and club personalities have received the nodding treatment, while college teams can draw upon generations of celebrated athletes, coaches and mascots. Racing offers another enormous collection of recognizable drivers, cars, uniforms and sponsors. Even sports such as golf, boxing and professional wrestling have provided subjects, proving that practically anyone associated with athletic competition can eventually find themselves staring back from a shelf with a head that refuses to remain still.

Then there are the mascots, perhaps the sports world's most naturally qualified bobblehead subjects. These oversized, brightly colored characters already possess exaggerated features, enormous heads and a willingness to behave ridiculously in public. Turning one into a bobblehead almost seems less like artistic interpretation and more like reducing it to a convenient household size. Mascot bobbleheads have consequently become popular promotional items, particularly with younger fans and collectors who enjoy the personality surrounding a team as much as the players themselves.

Sports bobbleheads also provide teams with a way to preserve their history. A current superstar might be honored one season, while a retired player, championship coach or beloved broadcaster appears the next. Collections can therefore become miniature histories of a franchise, linking today's fans with teams and personalities from decades earlier. For longtime supporters, a shelf filled with bobbleheads can represent championships, favorite players, unforgettable games and generations spent following the same team.

That emotional connection helps explain why collectible sports bobbleheads have spread so far beyond baseball. They're souvenirs, memorabilia and miniature celebrations rolled into one slightly unstable package. A photograph records what an athlete looked like, and a trading card records the statistics.

A bobblehead does both of those jobs while enthusiastically agreeing that your team is unquestionably the greatest ever assembled. Which, naturally, makes it the most sensible one in the room.

#### When Pop Culture Started Bobbling

Sports opened the door, but pop culture bobbleheads proceeded to march straight through it.

Actors, musicians, television characters, superheroes, villains, presidents, historical personalities and fictional characters have all been transformed into bobbleheads. The format works particularly well because exaggeration is already part of the design. Give someone an enormous head and suddenly virtually anybody becomes slightly amusing.

Movie franchises have produced countless examples. Characters from science fiction, horror, comedy and action films have appeared as bobbleheads. Television programs have done the same, allowing fans to place favorite characters on desks and shelves without the inconvenience of paying actors' salaries.

Musicians have also become popular subjects. Rock stars, country singers, rappers and other performers have been reproduced in miniature, often wearing recognizable costumes or recreating famous performances.

Then there are politicians and presidents.

Political bobbleheads have depicted American presidents, presidential candidates, Supreme Court justices and other public figures. Whatever your political persuasion, there is something wonderfully democratic about reducing powerful people to six inches tall and making their heads wobble.

![A proud collector carefully tends his extensive collection of car racing bobbleheads, surrounded by racing memorabilia, model cars, helmets, and displays.](https://marktheday.info/images/mark-the-days/january/jan-07/national-bobblehead-day-2-4.webp "Keeping a Collection Clean with some TLC")

#### Bobbleheads That Commemorate History

Not every bobblehead exists simply to celebrate a home run, movie character or celebrity. Historical bobbleheads have developed into their own fascinating corner of the collecting world, depicting presidents, political leaders, scientists, inventors, explorers, military figures, civil rights leaders and other people whose lives helped shape history. The combination may initially seem slightly peculiar—Abraham Lincoln probably never imagined posterity remembering him with a spring beneath his head—but these figures can make historical personalities instantly recognizable and surprisingly approachable.

American presidents have proved particularly popular subjects. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and numerous other presidents have appeared in bobblehead form, sometimes dressed or posed to represent a particular moment from their lives. Political history provides an almost endless supply of possibilities, and presidential elections have produced bobbleheads of candidates from across the political spectrum. Politics may not always encourage agreement, but at least the bobblehead version of a politician can usually be persuaded to nod.

The subjects extend far beyond presidents and political leaders. Collectible historical bobbleheads have represented scientists, inventors, astronauts, writers and other notable figures, allowing important personalities to appear in a form considerably less formal than the traditional bronze statue or framed portrait. Some are produced in connection with anniversaries, museums, educational organizations or historical events, while others are created simply because collectors enjoy owning recognizable representations of people they admire.

Bobbleheads can also provide an unexpected doorway into learning. A child who pays little attention to a photograph in a history book may be considerably more curious about a miniature historical figure sitting on a shelf. Who is that person? Why are they famous? What did they accomplish? Suddenly, the novelty becomes a conversation starter, and a collectible that initially attracted attention because its head moves can encourage someone to discover the real person and the history behind it.

Commemorative bobbleheads can perform a similar role by marking important anniversaries, achievements and events. Rather than simply portraying an individual, a figure may recreate a recognizable moment, include an object associated with that person's accomplishments or incorporate a base containing dates and historical information. In that sense, the bobblehead becomes more than a novelty. It is a small piece of memorabilia designed to preserve a story and encourage people to remember why the subject mattered.

Of course, there is an unavoidable element of humor whenever an important historical personality is given an enormous wobbling head. That doesn't necessarily diminish the person's accomplishments. If anything, it can make someone from another century seem a little less remote. Museums have spent generations trying to convince visitors that history consists of real people rather than names and dates carved beneath portraits. A bobblehead may not be the most conventional teaching aid, but conventional teaching aids rarely nod enthusiastically when somebody walks past.

That is part of the unusual appeal of historical bobblehead collecting. These figures combine education, memorabilia, popular culture and humor in an object small enough to sit on a desk. They can introduce someone to an important person, commemorate an achievement or simply provide collectors with another way to celebrate the history that interests them.

History has been preserved in books, paintings, monuments, museums and photographs for centuries. Apparently, there was still room for springs.

#### The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum

If you assumed there couldn't possibly be an entire museum devoted to people with disproportionately large heads bouncing around on springs, you have seriously underestimated the dedication of bobblehead collectors. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, celebrates the history, variety and enduring popularity of bobbleheads while preserving thousands of examples from sports, entertainment, politics, history and popular culture.

The museum was founded by longtime friends Phil Sklar and Brad Novak, whose involvement with bobbleheads grew from collecting sports memorabilia into something considerably larger. What began as a personal collection continued expanding until it became apparent that bobbleheads were taking over rather more territory than the average household could reasonably surrender. Instead of admitting they might have too many, Sklar and Novak chose the far more entertaining solution: create a museum for them.

The pair announced plans for the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014, and a temporary exhibition subsequently introduced the idea to the public. The permanent museum eventually opened in Milwaukee in 2019, providing a home where visitors could explore the history of bobbleheads and see just how astonishingly diverse the collecting world had become. What might sound like a narrow subject quickly becomes something much broader once sports, movies, television, music, politics, history, advertising and local culture all begin wobbling together.

Thousands of bobbleheads are represented in the museum's collection and displays. Professional athletes naturally occupy a prominent place, reflecting the enormous influence baseball and other sports have had on bobblehead collecting. However, visitors can also encounter musicians, actors, television personalities, fictional characters, mascots, politicians and historical figures. Put enough of them together and the result resembles the world's strangest convention, where absolutely everybody appears to agree with the speaker.

The museum also helps document how bobbleheads have changed through the generations. Earlier ceramic and papier-mâché figures demonstrate the comparatively simple designs and fragile materials once used, while modern examples reveal how sophisticated manufacturing has become. Today's bobbleheads can include highly detailed uniforms, recognizable facial features, elaborate bases, props and scenes recreating famous moments. Looking across different eras provides a miniature history not only of bobbleheads themselves but also of changing manufacturing techniques, sports marketing and popular culture.

The organization does considerably more than display existing collectibles. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum also produces and sells exclusive bobbleheads, including limited editions celebrating athletes, teams, universities, mascots, entertainers, historical personalities and current events. Some commemorate achievements or anniversaries, while others give collectors figures of subjects that might otherwise never receive a mass-market release. That continuing production means the museum isn't simply preserving bobblehead history—it is actively adding new chapters to it.

It also serves as an important resource for collectors. Bobbleheads can tell surprisingly detailed stories about sports franchises, promotional campaigns and changing popular tastes. A figure produced for a single stadium giveaway may document one night in a team's history, while another might commemorate a championship, retirement, record or anniversary. Preserving these objects helps preserve the circumstances surrounding their creation, turning seemingly simple novelty items into pieces of cultural and sporting memorabilia.

Perhaps most appropriately for National Bobblehead Day, the organization behind the museum also established the annual celebration itself. National Bobblehead Day was announced in 2014 and first celebrated on January 7, 2015, giving collectors an official excuse to display their favorites, learn more about bobblehead history and perhaps add another figure to a collection that everybody promised would stop growing three shelves ago.

For visitors who already collect bobbleheads, the museum offers an opportunity to see rare, unusual and historically interesting examples gathered together in one place. For everyone else, it demonstrates how an apparently simple novelty became connected with generations of sports fans, entertainment franchises, political campaigns and popular culture.

And for anyone whose spouse has ever asked, "Exactly how many bobbleheads do you need?" the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum provides the perfect answer.

Clearly, thousands.

#### What Makes Bobbleheads So Collectible?

The simplest explanation for why people collect bobbleheads is that they're fun. They combine sports, entertainment, history and nostalgia with the undeniable amusement of seeing someone famous represented by a tiny body and an enormous moving head. But once someone moves beyond owning one or two favorites, bobblehead collecting can become a surprisingly sophisticated hobby in which rarity, condition, age, subject and even original packaging can make one figure considerably more desirable than another.

Collectors often specialize according to their interests. A baseball fan might concentrate entirely on players from one team, while another collector searches for Hall of Famers, stadium giveaways or vintage baseball bobbleheads. Other collections may focus on NFL or NBA stars, musicians, presidents, movie characters, television personalities, mascots or historical figures. Some enthusiasts pursue particular manufacturers or limited-edition releases. With such an enormous variety available, a collection can be as broad or wonderfully obsessive as its owner wishes.

Rarity is one of the biggest factors affecting a collectible bobblehead's value. A figure produced in huge numbers and sold nationally will usually be easier to find than one distributed to a limited number of fans at a single sporting event. Limited editions, promotional bobbleheads and figures produced for particular anniversaries or occasions can therefore attract considerable attention. If demand remains strong after the available supply has disappeared, collectors may find themselves competing for examples on the secondary market.

The person or character represented also matters. A bobblehead depicting a legendary athlete, enormously popular entertainer or important historical personality may naturally attract more collectors than one featuring somebody whose moment in the spotlight lasted approximately as long as the bobblehead's first wobble. Sports figures can become particularly interesting when a player who was relatively unknown at the time of release later becomes a superstar, wins championships, breaks records or enters a Hall of Fame.

Age can add another layer of desirability. Vintage bobbleheads, particularly surviving ceramic and papier-mâché examples from the mid-20th century, are sought by collectors because comparatively few have survived in excellent condition. These figures weren't necessarily purchased with long-term investment in mind. They were souvenirs, toys and decorations, which meant they were handled, displayed, dropped, moved from house to house and occasionally entrusted to children—an environment in which fragile ceramic objects traditionally experience mixed results.

Condition therefore plays an important role when determining bobblehead value. Chips, cracks, fading, broken springs, repairs and missing pieces can reduce collector interest, particularly with older or rarer examples. A well-preserved figure with bright colors and no obvious damage will generally be more desirable than an identical one that appears to have spent several seasons playing defensive tackle.

Original packaging can matter too. Collectors frequently place additional value on bobbleheads accompanied by their original boxes, inserts, certificates or other materials. Limited-edition numbering and documentation can help establish exactly what the figure is and how many were produced. As with many collectibles, keeping everything that originally came with the item can prove worthwhile.

This creates one of the great philosophical dilemmas of bobblehead collecting: should you remove the figure from its box and actually enjoy it, or leave it untouched to preserve its condition?

One approach provides years of cheerful wobbling, the other provides years of staring through plastic. Collectors have been known to solve the problem by purchasing two.

Beyond monetary value, however, many bobbleheads become collectible because of personal connections. A stadium giveaway might remind someone of a game attended with a parent or child. A retired player's figure can represent years spent following a favorite team, while a television or movie bobblehead might recall something enjoyed during childhood. In those cases, the figure's market value becomes considerably less important than the memories attached to it.

That's one reason bobblehead collections can become miniature autobiographies. Look across someone's shelves and you may discover which teams they support, which musicians they enjoy, which movies they love and which historical personalities fascinate them. The collection isn't simply an assortment of objects; it reflects the interests and experiences of the person who assembled it.

And, like most collections, it usually begins innocently. You acquire one bobblehead because you like the player. Then another appears because it matches the first. A limited edition comes along that would be foolish to miss. Then somebody releases the entire championship team. Eventually, you aren't wondering whether you collect bobbleheads anymore. You're wondering where you're going to put the next shelf.

#### How to Celebrate National Bobblehead Day

Celebrating National Bobblehead Day on January 7 doesn't require complicated preparation. If you already collect bobbleheads, bring a few favorites out for display, rearrange the collection or finally dust the poor things. Their heads move. Their feet don't. They're completely incapable of escaping household dust.

Sports fans can investigate upcoming bobblehead giveaway games for their favorite teams, while collectors can search for a figure representing someone or something meaningful to them. You might also visit the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, explore its collection online or learn more about the history of these unusual collectibles.

If you have children or grandchildren, show them an older bobblehead and explain who it represents. Sports memorabilia and pop culture collectibles can provide surprisingly effective introductions to people and events from earlier generations.

Or simply place a bobblehead on your desk and ask it whether you should stop working early. Give the desk a gentle bump. There you are. Permission granted.

#### National Bobblehead Day FAQ

Still have questions about bobbleheads? You're in the right place. Our National Bobblehead Day FAQ tackles some of the most common questions about these perpetually agreeable collectibles, from their surprisingly long history to baseball giveaways and what makes certain bobbleheads valuable. We asked the bobbleheads whether we should include an FAQ section. Every single one nodded yes.

**When is National Bobblehead Day?** National Bobblehead Day is celebrated annually on January 7.

**Who created National Bobblehead Day?** National Bobblehead Day was established by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. The first celebration took place in 2015.

**Where is the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum?** The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

**How old are bobbleheads?** The basic idea behind bobbleheads dates back centuries, with nodding-head figures appearing long before the modern sports bobbleheads familiar to collectors today.

**Why are bobbleheads associated with baseball?** Baseball helped popularize bobbleheads during the 20th century, and stadium bobblehead giveaways became enormously popular after the San Francisco Giants' Willie Mays promotion in 1999.

**Are old bobbleheads valuable?** Some can be. Rarity, age, condition, subject, manufacturer and original packaging can all influence a bobblehead's collectible value.

**What are bobbleheads made from?** Early bobbleheads were often made from ceramic or papier-mâché. Modern bobbleheads are commonly manufactured from resin or plastic materials.

**What kinds of bobbleheads can you collect?** Collectors can find bobbleheads depicting athletes, sports mascots, actors, musicians, fictional characters, politicians, historical figures and many other subjects.

#### The Enduring Appeal of the Bobblehead

Bobbleheads have survived changing fashions, manufacturing techniques and generations of collectors because they occupy a wonderfully peculiar place between memorabilia and comedy. They can commemorate a championship, celebrate a favorite movie, honor an important historical figure or simply sit beside a computer enthusiastically approving everything their owner does.

Their history stretches from early nodding figures to ceramic collectibles, baseball promotions and today's enormous world of sports and pop culture merchandise. Along the way, the humble bobblehead became one of America's most recognizable collectibles.

National Bobblehead Day gives these perpetually agreeable characters their moment every January 7. And judging from their reaction, they're delighted about it.

Just look at them. They're all nodding.

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