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A bobblehead, also known by common silly nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small
collectible A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...
action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually marketed ...
. 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 in such a way that a light tap will cause the head to move around, or "bobble", hence the name.


History

During the seventeenth century, figurines of Buddha and other religious figures called "temple nodders" were produced in Asia. The earliest known Western reference to a bobblehead is thought to be in Nikolai Gogol's 1842 short story "
The Overcoat "The Overcoat" (russian: Шине́ль, translit. Shinyél’; sometimes translated as "The Cloak") is a short story by Russian author Nikolai Gogol, published in 1842. The story has had a great influence on Russian literature. Eugène-M ...
", in which the main character's neck was described as being "like the necks of plaster cats which wag their heads". During the nineteenth century, bisque porcelain bobbleheads were being made in limited quantities for the US market. Many of the bobbleheads in the US were produced in Germany, with an increase in imports during the 1920s and 30s. By the 1950s, bobbleheads had a substantial surge in popularity, with items made of either plastic or bisque porcelain. By 1960, Major League Baseball 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. The
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Wor ...
held that year brought the first player-specific baseball bobbleheads, for
Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early dea ...
,
Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
, Roger Maris and Willie Mays, still all with the same face. Over the next decade bobbleheads were also made of ceramic. Within a few years, they would be produced for other sports, as well as cartoon characters. One of the most famous bobbleheads of all time also hails from this era: The Beatles bobblehead set, which is a valuable collectible today. The next increase in popularity was in the late 1990s. 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 main bobblehead material switched, this time from ceramic to plastic. It was now possible to make bobbleheads in the limited numbers necessary for them to be viable collectibles. On August 2, 1997, the minor league
Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The current ...
gave away Barons Bobblehead Doll bobbleheads at a game. The first major league baseball team to offer a bobblehead giveaway was the San Francisco Giants, which distributed 35,000 Willie Mays head nodders at their May 9, 1999 gam

The variety of bobbleheads has grown to include even relatively obscure popular culture figures and notable people. The new millennium brought a new type of bobblehead toy, the mini-bobblehead, two or three inches tall and used for free gifts in some package foods. Post Cereals packaged 22 million mini-bobble heads of MLB players with its cereal before opening day in 2002

On November 18, 2014, it was announced that the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum would open in 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US. The National Bobblehead HOF and Museum held a preview exhibit at RedLine Milwaukee from January 7, 2016 to April 30, 2016, which showcased the largest public display of bobbleheads in history. The 2000s also saw the rise of a competitive market for personalized, on-demand bobbleheads, typically 6–7 inches tall, from a number of on-line vendors. In 2015, the Pope Francis bobblehead became so popular that a nationwide shortage was reported. January 7, 2015 was the inaugural National Bobblehead Day in the US. In 2016, the '' Guinness World Records, Guinness Book of World Records'' mark for world's largest bobblehead was set at 15 feet 4 inches tall. Named "Goldie" a St. Bernard, the mascot of Applied Underwriters, it was created for Applied Underwriters, designed by Nate Wells, constructed by Dino Rentos and BobbleHeads.com.


Thanjavur dolls of India

Thanjavur dolls are a type of Indian bobblehead dolls 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 are often dressed up in fancy clothes. They form a part of an elaborate display of dolls known as " Golu (kolu)", exhibited in Indian houses during the " Dasara (Navaratri)" festival in Sep-Oct. These dolls are examples of how to start separating out the movements of three distinct part of body, namely, head, torso, and the hip and skirt parts. A different version of these, 'Thalayatti Bommai' are the king and queen versions where the purpose is to show that the semi-circular bottoms, filled with sands, do not topple with a structure that is sharply raising, a mode that is used in building the Thanjavur Peruvudaiyar Koil. The recent excavations near the walls of the temple shows bases filled with sands of different colors that indicate that the architecture of the temple has lot more planning than simple stacking of the heavy stones.


In popular culture

* Sports teams sometimes give away bobblehead dolls at their games; for example, the Los Angeles Kings gave away bobbleheads commemorating
Luc Robitaille Luc Jean-Marie Robitaille (born February 17, 1966) is a Canadian–American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He currently serves as president of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). During his 19-seaso ...
's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. * In the 1986 " Let's Go Mets" music video, there is a scene where
Joe Piscopo Joseph Charles John Piscopo ( ; born June 17, 1951) is an American actor, comedian and conservative radio talk show host. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1980 to 1984, where he played a variety of recurring characters. His f ...
, standing outside the New York Mets' dugout at
Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.Howard Johnson,
Bob Ojeda Robert Michael Ojeda (born December 17, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a memb ...
,
Rick Aguilera Richard Warren Aguilera (born December 31, 1961) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1985 to 2000. Aguilera won a world championship as a member of th ...
, Kevin Mitchell) who "bobble" their heads in a similar fashion. Piscopo then attempts to tap a fifth player ( Lee Mazzilli) but is rebuffed and subsequently tackled by all of the players. * In 2001,
Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The o ...
broadcast commercials in Europe featuring an Elvis impersonator and a prototypical
Wackel-Elvis Wackel-Elvis (, "Wobbly Elvis") is a tall, 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 commer ...
("Wobble Elvis" or "Wobbly Elvis") dashboard figure with a wobbling left arm and hip. Due to subsequent demand 165,000 Wackel-Elvis dashboard figures were produced. The figure depicts Elvis wearing the jumpsuit he wore in the 1973 ''
Aloha from Hawaii ''Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite'' is a concert starring Elvis Presley that took place at the Honolulu International Center and was broadcast live via satellite to audiences in Asia and Oceania on January 14, 1973. The show was presented ...
'' TV broadcast. * Since 2003, American
law journal A law review or law journal is a scholarly journal or publication that focuses on legal issues. A law review is a type of legal periodical. Law reviews are a source of research, imbedded with analyzed and referenced legal topics; they also pro ...
'' The Green Bag'' has issued bobblehead dolls depicting Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, both past and present. * In the season two episode " Valentine's Day" of
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
's The Office (U.S. TV Series), Dwight is given a bobblehead doll of himself as a Valentine's gift, from Angela. * In 2010, 14-year-old Henry Ermer of
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, beh ...
, attempted to enter the ''
Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' by building what is believed to be the world's largest bobblehead, standing 16 feet tall. * On the 2012 season premiere episode of
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
's '' The Bachelorette'', contestant Chris Bukowski presented bachelorette Emily Maynard with custom bobbleheads of the two of them in an attempt to impress her and further himself in the competition. * Bobbleheads are also a known characteristic feature of the videogame ''Fallout'' series * Boy from the animated series ''
Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese ''Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese'' ( French: '' Boy Girl, etc.'') is an animated television series based on an original concept by Jeff Harter and Cloudco Entertainment, and directed by Jérémy Guiter for Season 1 and Matthieu Giner for Season ...
'' is seen in multiple episodes to have a large bobblehead collection. *Nowadays, custom bobbleheads are designed based on a person's picture and given in the form of gifts on various occasions.


Promotional merchandise by American corporations

* ''
Newsies ''Newsies'' (released as ''The News Boys'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1992 American musical historical comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by choreographer Kenny Ortega in his film directing debut. Loosely based on ...
'' "Broadway" Bobblehead * Richardson e-learning 5-year trade show giveaway. *
Dave Brown (meteorologist) David H. Brown (born September 1, 1946) is an American meteorologist. He is the former chief meteorologist from 1977 to 2015 for WMC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Brown is an American Meteorological Society Certified Broadcas ...
WMC-TV Bobblehead


In film

*''Bobbleheads: The Movie'' is a 2020
computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refer ...
comedy film about four bobbleheads who protect their home from two uninvited relatives while their owners are away for the weekend. The film, directed by
Kirk Wise Kirk Wise (born August 24, 1963) is an American film director, animator and screenwriter best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Wise has directed Disney animated films such as ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''The Hunchback of Notre ...
, was released on December 8, 2020 ( United States) by
Universal 1440 Entertainment Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA Home Video, MCA Videodisc and MCA Videocassette, Inc.) is the home video distribution division of Am ...
, with
Threshold Entertainment Threshold Entertainment Group, also known as Threshold Entertainment, is an intellectual property company. Its animation subsidiary, Threshold Animation Studios, produces films. Larry Kasanoff is the company's chief executive officer (CEO) after p ...
and Incessant Rain Studios using
Nvidia Nvidia CorporationOfficially written as NVIDIA and stylized in its logo as VIDIA with the lowercase "n" the same height as the uppercase "VIDIA"; formerly stylized as VIDIA with a large italicized lowercase "n" on products from the mid 1990s to ...
GPUs remotely via
Microsoft Azure Microsoft Azure, often referred to as Azure ( , ), is a cloud computing platform operated by Microsoft for application management via around the world-distributed data centers. Microsoft Azure has multiple capabilities such as software as a ...
, featuring
Brenda Song Brenda Song (born March 27, 1988) is an American actress. Born in California, Song began her career at the age of six, working as a child model. She made her screen debut with a guest appearance on the sitcom '' Thunder Alley'' (1995), and ...
,
Karen Fukuhara is an American actress, best known for her roles as Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana in the 2016 superhero film '' Suicide Squad'' and as Kimiko Miyashira/The Female in the Amazon Prime original series '' The Boys'' (2019–present). Fukuhara is also ...
, ,
Khary Payton Khary Payton (born May 16, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as King Ezekiel on the horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' and Dr. Terrell Jackson on the soap opera ''General Hospital'', as well as voicing Cyborg across va ...
, Anthony Destefanis,
Grey Griffin Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress, comedian and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On Sept ...
,
Hala Finley Hala Finley (born May 18, 2009) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in '' Man with a Plan'' (2016–2020) as Emme Burns and in '' We Can Be Heroes'' (2020) as Ojo. Early life Finley was born on May 18, 2009, in Kansas City, M ...
, Luke Wilson, Jennifer Coolidge and
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industr ...
.Cher in Bobbleheads: The Movie trailer
/ref> * In '' Are We There Yet?'', a
Satchel Paige Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction ...
Bobblehead (voiced by Tracy Morgan), Nick's prized possession, acts as his confidante, and speaks to him through his conscience, giving him advice on dating.


See also

*
Akabeko is a legendary cow from the Aizu region of Japan, who inspired a traditional toy. In legend, Akabeko the cow was present at the building the Enzō-ji temple of Yanaizu in the ninth century, and became a permanent fixture there, with some stori ...
* Bobble-head doll syndrome * Funko *
Head bobble A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may not h ...
* * National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum


References


Bibliography

* Hunter, Tim (2000). ''Bobbing Head Dolls: 1960–2000''. Krause Publications. {{ISBN, 978-0-87341-802-7. Dolls Baseball culture Articles containing video clips Novelty items