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National Bobblehead Day

Bobbleheads are celebrated today with National Bobblehead Day, a holiday created by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. The heads of bobbleheads are often oversized compared to their bodies and are connected to them with a spring or hook, so they move around—or bobble—if they are lightly tapped. These collectible figurines go by other names like wobbler, nodder, and wacky wobbler.

The history of bobbleheads dates back hundreds of years. In Asia in the 1600s, "temple nodders" were made of religious figures such as Buddha. Chinese nodding-head figures were found in England and throughout Europe by the 1760s or '70s. A painting from 1765 of Queen Charlotte in her dressing room in Buckingham Palace depicts two of these figures in the background. By the 1780s, great numbers of these figures were being imported to England, Europe, and the United States. The interest of the English in the figures was in large part driven by Charlotte's son, the Prince of Wales (later George IV), who had an interest in Chinese decoration.

Bobblehead dolls were first referenced in print in 1842 in "The Overcoat," a Russian short story by Nikolai Gogol, where the main character is described as having a neck "like the neck of plaster cats which wag their heads." During the nineteenth century, a small amount of bisque porcelain bobbleheads were made for the United States market.

After the turn of the twentieth century, Germany began producing ceramic bobbleheads of animals. About six to eight inches in height, and with heads connected with springs, they were known as nodders or bobbers. There was an increase in imports of bobbleheads to the United States from Germany in the 1920s and '30s.

Bobbleheads made of bisque porcelain and plastic gained in popularity by the 1950s, but the watershed bobblehead moment took place in 1960. That year, Major League Baseball (MLB) produced paper-mâché bobbleheads of each MLB team, with faces that were either cherub-like or of the team's mascot. They soon also made bobbleheads of four baseball superstars: Roberto Clemente, Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays. Because the bobbleheads were made with paper-mâché, they weren't very resilient and were susceptible to chipping and cracking. The MLB continued producing bobbleheads over the following years.

In the next few years, bobbleheads started being produced for sports besides baseball and cartoon characters. The Beatles bobblehead set was released in 1964 and became one of the most famous and sought-after bobblehead sets. Bobbleheads began being made with ceramic, a more durable material. But throughout most of the 1970s and '80s, not many new bobbleheads were made, and collectors were more focused on items such as lunchboxes, action figures, and video games.

In the 1990s, bobbleheads began being made of plastic instead of ceramic, making it easier to produce quality bobbleheads at a reasonable price. This set the stage for their surge in popularity at the end of the decade. Bobbleheads could also now be produced in limited runs, making it easier for them to become collector's items.

On August 2, 1997, the Birmingham Barons, a Minor League Baseball team, gave away Barons bobblehead dolls at a game. Then, on May 9, 1999, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Candlestick Park, the San Francisco Giants offered a Willie Mays bobblehead to the first 20,000 visitors, becoming the first MLB team to offer a bobblehead giveaway. It was a great success and other MLB teams began giving away bobbleheads as promotional items to fans. By 2010, more than 300 unique bobbleheads had been given out at MLB ballparks.

With the rise in popularity of bobbleheads at the turn of the century, variations like mini-bobbleheads, bobble computer sitters, bobblehead banks, and bobblehead air fresheners were made. Mini-bobbleheads were often given away in packaged foods. For example, Post Cereals packaged 22 million bobbleheads of MLB players before Opening Day in 2002. As the popularity of bobbleheads grew, they were less confined to sports figures and started being made of notable people and cultural figures—even obscure ones. It even became possible to get custom and personalized bobbleheads.

The popularity of bobbleheads also led to the opening of museums to showcase them. When Marlin Park opened in 2012, so did the Bobblehead Museum within it. It contains 588 bobbleheads, with every MLB team represented, behind a glass display case that vibrates slightly so that all the heads bobble. After announcing its opening in 2014, and also creating National Bobblehead Day, and announcing its first observance to be on January 7, 2015, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Milwaukee in 2016, and currently houses the world's largest collection of bobbleheads.

How to Observe National Bobblehead Day

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum suggests celebrating in the following ways:

For fans and collectors:

  • Post your favorite bobblehead-related pictures on social media using #NationalBobbleheadDay.
  • Watch social media and your email to see how your favorite teams and retailers are celebrating National Bobblehead Day. You can win great prizes and be the first to find out about upcoming bobbleheads.
  • Follow the National Bobblehead HOF & Museum (@BobbleheadHall) on Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook for promotions and announcements.
  • Become a member of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
  • Encourage your favorite teams to participate in #NationalBobbleheadDay.
  • Bring treats to the office and showcase your amazing bobblehead display.
  • Wish all of your bobbleheads, friends, and family a Happy National Bobblehead Day.

For teams, retailers, and manufacturers:

  • Social media posts and contests across all social media platforms using #NationalBobbleheadDay and tagging the National Bobblehead HOF & Museum @BobbleheadHall.
  • Online and in-store discounts on bobbleheads and bobblehead-related merchandise.
  • Bobblehead scavenger hunt.
  • Revealing of future bobbleheads.
  • Special offers on bobblehead-related ticket packages.
  • Bobblehead celebration to give away bobbleheads, bring people into the team store and/or encourage ticket purchases. Free or discounted bobbleheads and a bobblehead cake could be used to bring in customers.
  • Bobblehead grab bags where fans buy a grab bag and get a random bobblehead.
  • Get feedback from fans about what bobbleheads they would like to see.
  • Arrange for media interviews to talk about your team’s bobbleheads (and other promotions).
  • It's a new year and National Bobblehead Day is a great way to clean out some old bobbleheads and get fans excited about upcoming bobbleheads.

Some other ways you could celebrate beyond those suggested by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum include:

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