Ed. Note: Welcome to the first edition of Bobble Bulletin, which will provide updates on bobblehead collecting including news, significant sales, new releases and more.
The officially licensed, individually numbered Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl bobbleheads will go down as the most popular Super Bowl bobbleheads of all-time, and it hasn’t even been a month since the Eagles were crowned Super Bowl LII Champions.
Since the early 2000’s bobbleheads have been produced by Forever Collectibles (now going by the name FOCO) of the top players as well as the mascot of the Super Bowl Champions. The roster of bobbleheads included in the series is determined based on demand. Typically, around 10 to 20 players are offered for sale immediately following the game, but only around 10 reach the requirement for production, which is currently 144 per player.
However, in the case of the Eagles, all the players hit the minimums and there were three waves of additions, brining the total number of unique players to 34—a record for championship bobbleheads of any sport. Add in the bobblehead of Swoop, the Nick Foles MVP bobblehead and the mini set of four, the total number goes to 40. And the biggest Eagles fans can add three-foot bobbleheads of Swoop, Nick Foles, Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz to their collection.
So how will this higher demand impact the value and collectability of the bobbleheads? We see the same phenomenon with the championship bobbleheads almost every year. The quantity produced is based off pre-sales, but demand spikes once the bobbleheads arrive and people see them in person. At that point, it’s often too late, especially for some of the players that had very few made. We expect the Eagles bobbleheads to mirror the Astros, where a large portion of the roster are already sold out and becoming difficult to find on the secondary market. The addition of several special edition Super Bowl bobbleheads, which are expected to be released in late-March, will only add to demand.
Collectors looking to add the Eagles Super Bowl LII Champions bobbleheads to their collection can still pre-order them here.
Auction Results for Bobbleheads and Nodders Strong
Collectors are paying top dollar for rare bobbleheads (aka Nodders) with monthly auctions at NodderExchange.com seeing some record prices. The 2017 Holiday auction saw a San Francisco 49ers prototype nodder sell for nearly $7,400. The Nodder Exchange is a great resource for anyone looking to value, buy or sell a vintage bobblehead. The site’s monthly auctions typically have some very hard to find items.
On eBay, one bobblehead generating a lot of excitement has been the Pete Rose Phillies Wall of Fame bobblehead. The bobblehead was to be given away at the August 11th, 2017, game, but were reportedly destroyed when allegations of Rose resurfaced shortly before the Wall of Fame induction and bobblehead giveaway was set to take place. The first bobblehead to hit eBay in early December sold for over $1,100, but prices have come down a bit as more have leaked onto the market.
Baseball season is here…And that means prime Bobblehead season
The start of Spring Training is an exciting time for baseball fans and collectors across the country. Not only is it a sign of warmer weather and the return of America’s pastime, but it brings with it a flurry of new bobbleheads. From hundreds of new promotions across major and minor leagues to new retail bobbleheads, it’s an exciting time for collectors.
A new series of bobbleheads, which features MLB teams that have won multiple World Series titles just became available exclusively from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. Each bobblehead in the series is individually numbered to only 1,000, and the Cardinals bobblehead, which was the first to arrive, already sold out. The bobbleheads feature the team’s current mascot holding two replica World Series trophies, with additional replica trophies on the base to represent each of the team’s titles. A commemorative backing lists the years of the titles.
These have been very popular among fans who don’t even consider themselves bobblehead collectors—if they only want one bobblehead to represent their team, these are perfect. We’ve seen that very few of the sold out bobbleheads end up on the secondary market, driving prices pretty high once they’re sold out. Collectors can purchase the bobbleheads here.
Bobblehead Hall of Fame Update
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum will be opening by the end of April in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and organizers have been extremely busy getting everything set up for visitors. Signage has started to go up, and thousands of bobbleheads that have been in storage are being unpacked to be displayed. The exhibits and everything else that goes into opening a new space is being finalized in preparation for the opening. You can check out this recent CBS 58 news story for a look at the space before it was invaded with bobbleheads. Stay tuned or check out BobbleheadHall.com for more information.
We look forward to bringing Sports Collectors Daily fans bobblehead-related updates on a regular basis. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or topics you would like to see addressed in a future Bobblehead Update.
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