Let’s begin with a brief history of bobbleheads. 1966: Gold base baseball bobbleheads were issued. These were of inferior quality and would suffer from chips, cracks, and paint flaking. One specific player was made – Willie Mays. 1970: There was a lull in bobblehead collecting as collectors shifted to lunchboxes, action figures and video games. 1990: New manufacturing processes allowed bobbleheads to be made from plastic instead of ceramic, dramatically reducing the expense and difficulty of creating quality bobbleheads.
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.
The modern bobble head doll typically consists of two styles of body mold: A plastic body or ceramic body. The advent of the plastic mold over the past three decades allows for more unique designs and lightweight body styles. The time tested ceramic bobble head doll remains popular, but is more delicate in nature. There are generally two subsets of design of the plastic bobble heads doll. One style is a durable, sturdy plastic mold. The second is not only sturdy, but also covered in a “flocked” material, which is generally a cloth, fuzz material.
In 1960, Major League Baseball decided to give away a series of papier-mache bobblehead dolls for each team with the same cherubic face and imported from Japan. That same year World Series was held and first bobblehead dollswere made specifically for players but they still had the same faces. The players that had bobbleheads made for them were Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Willie Mays. Beside of players, teams made and gave away as souvenirs bobblehead dolls in the shape of their team mascots. When material of making bobblehead dolls was changed from papier-mache to ceramic they were made in likeness of players of other sports too and of cartoon characters. The Beatles bobblehead set, which was made in the next decade is still a very valuable collectable. In time production and interest for bobblehead dolls again waned and by 1970s it almost disappeared completely.
Due to the San Francisco Giants’ bobblehead promotion, bobbleheads went crazy. Suddenly these items did not just represent people. The mini bobbleheads, bobblehead banks, bobblehead computer sitters, and bobblehead air fresheners were born. If you could make it nod, turn it into a bobblehead seemed to be the mantra. What is it about these miniature, big-headed, nodding figures that make them not just collectible, but enjoyable? The reason: bobbleheads are real enough, but not too real. It is their whimsicalness tied with their realistic representation of a figure that has made them outlast figurines and other novelty items. It is also their connection between the industry and the fans that make them a crucial and sentimental asset. Especially with baseball, fans can increase their support by buying and collecting a nodding version of their favorite player.
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 more details on personalized bobbleheads online store.