Bobblehead is a term used to describe a type of toy, typically sculpted from plastic or some other soft material. The head is often a caricature of a famous person, or sometimes of a fictional character. It is usually made to be a bobble, or a spring-necked head which remains in a fixed orientation until displaced by a small, sudden movement. A bobblehead may be designed to look like a specific person or character or maybe a generic representation of a person.
A typical bobblehead is a depiction of a person and the head is often oversized in proportion to the body and is supported only by a thin stem, or neck. The bobbleheads are usually made of plastic or resin and are available in a variety of colors, sizes, and styles.
Bobbleheads have been produced with many different kinds of materials, including wood, metal, stone, glass, and ceramic. A bobblehead is a type of collectible toy that has a spring-mounted head on a spring pivot in its neck. It moves up and down or from side to side on the spring and in doing so, the head appears to bobble.
Bobblehead is a word that originated from the German word “Bobbel” which means “bobble” or “head that wobbles.” There is a lot of craze surrounding the collection of the bobblehead and the most famous bobbleheads are the one of President George W. Bush and the one of former MLB player Tim Lincecum, who both have bobbleheads made in their likeness.
Bobbleheads date back to history but yet the craze for them prevails till today.
History of Bobblehead
The bobblehead was invented in 1907 by a German manufacturer called R.G.Hildebrand. It was created to be placed on the dashboard of cars to keep them safe from evil spirits and bad luck.
In 1908, the first bobblehead doll was created to commemorate the win of the first Indianapolis 500 race. Since then, bobbleheads have come a long way. They are no longer just for car dashboards but have become sought-after collector’s items and also toys.
The first bobblehead was produced in Germany in 1910 and was made of porcelain. It was a reproduction of German Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg. Later, the first plastic bobblehead was produced in the U.S. in the 1950s.
It was a reproduction of the famous baseball player, Mickey Mantle. Since then, the bobblehead has evolved to become an iconic symbol of American sports.
In 1960 a Japanese company named Takara invented different types of bobbleheads such as Hockey bobbleheads, Basketball bobbleheads – Football bobbleheads, Political bobbleheads, TV bobbleheads, Movie bobbleheads, Cartoon bobbleheads, Military bobbleheads, Historical bobbleheads, Celebrities bobbleheads, etc., which was widely popular around the globe.
The bobblehead toy has its roots in the early 20th century. Fast forward to the present day, bobbleheads are still widely popular and very famous collectibles. Today anyone can make a bobblehead of themselves. Many stores can create a bobblehead of a person and can be a very unique and thoughtful gift.
To make a bobblehead of a person one can check out online stores where they can upload a photo and create a bobblehead. The same can be done in any of the physical stores in the mall that can make bobbleheads.
