Bobblehead dolls

A bobblehead, also known by nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible figurine. 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", 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 1930s. By the 1950s, bobbleheads had a substantial surge in popularity, with items made of either plastic or bisque porcelain. By 1960, Major League Baseball (MLB) 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 held that year brought the first player-specific baseball bobbleheads, for Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, 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.