A couple from the state of Washington were exploring the rooms in their new home when they discovered an over-sized Washington Redskins bobbing head doll among items that had been left in the attic. They might just as well have found a stash of cash.
The bobber turned out to be a rare promotional item distributed to stores which carried the first-ever line of NFL dolls in 1960. Only a few of the 13 different 15" models are known to exist so in virtually any condition the doll would have attracted attention from the legion of bobbing head fans. But this undiscovered rarity was virtually pristine, requiring only the expert repair of a small crack in the left foot and two minuscule nicks on the helmet.
Offered in an auction on NodderExchange.com, the over sized piece brought 18 bids and closed at $15,125. The 14% buyer's premium brought the final realized price to $17,243, setting a new record for a vintage bobble head according to Nodder Exchange's John Brey..
The price beat the old record set in 2005 when the only other 1960 Redskins promo doll known to exist sold for about $3,000 less in a sale held by Huggins & Scott.
"The vintage bobbing head market is extremely strong," Brey told Sports Collectors Daily. "Many new collectors are coming on board every day and prices remain very strong."
According Brey, the record for baseball bobbing head was set in 2002 when a Houston Colt .45s African-American version brought $11,683.
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Offered in an auction on 