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Contray to popular belief..I feel that the golden age of bobblehead doll collecting is now. Vintage bobbles are great and worth some big bucks in nice condition, but they in no way compare to what's on the market currently. Bobbles today are made much better...of ceramic or resin as compared to papier mache'. They depict individual players down to the finest detail, including hair style, tattoos and even earrings! And the biggest PLUS in bobble collecting today is the price; you can find almost any bobblehead doll you are looking for, for under $50.00! Most times you can find them for $10-20. So for beginning collectors...it's a smorgasboard of great finds at great prices!
Here are a few tips for bobblehead doll collecting:
#1. What's your interest?
There are numerous categories of bobblehead dolls to choose from including:
Sports, Music, Cartoon, Vintage, Political, Historical, Cartoon, Movies and much more. Find your area of interest and start hunting...or collect a little from each category!
#2. Where to find bobblehead dolls?
Unfortunatley you can't walk in to any store and find bobblehead dolls. They are still few and far between. Ebay is a great place to start looking and a great place to do your research (the next tip).
Start browsing through auctions to see what bobbleheads are selling for and what to expect to pay in shipping fees (it aint cheap).
#3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
As with almost any collectible..one of the main things is to do your homework..research...research...research. The more you know, the more informed decisions you will make! Informed buyers and sellers do not overpay or undersell their bobblehead dolls. They know what questions to ask and what answers to give.
#4. How to display your bobblehead doll collection
Bobblehead dolls are not as fragile as some think, but they do need some care. Keep them on a shelf or in a display case away from sunlight (and hopefully away from dust)....and also away from curious hands that want to "bobble" them. It's best to put a piece of foam or cotton balls inside the neck to prevent bobbling.
You can clean them with a mild soap (I prefer Dawn) and dust them frequently with a soft dry cloth. Leaving your bobblehead dolls in the box is the best protective measure, but most collectors want to display them..which is great...and how it should be.
#5. Do my bobblehead dolls have to be on perfect condition?
Unfortunately , even the most minor of defects detracts from the value of your bobblehead doll. That siad...MANY bobbles have at least a few small defects....either from shipping, handling or even factory defects. So do not expect all your bobbles to be "museum quality". Do expect them to be free of major cracks and chips. Any seller worth his salt will describe each defect so that you will not be disappointed when you receive a less than perfect bobblehead doll. A mint, museum quality bobblehead doll is a thing of beauty and should demand top dollar on the secondary market.
#6. Has my bobblehead doll been repaired/restored?
It's easy (most of the time) to tell when a bobblehead doll has been repaired.....you can see a slightly different shade of paint, glue residue and other abnormalities...like a finger that's crooked/ backwards or a head that wobbles in a lop-sided fashion..or doesn't wobble at all. Some manufacturers DO repair certain bobbles before they leave the factory...especially if an entire run of one style has a major problem. In those instances...you can almost certainly tell it was a "factory job" (since the bobblehead doll came straight form the factory to you) and the value is almost completely unaffected. I still point out these defects though when selling.
#7. What's my bobblehead doll worth?
Other than the "Warman's Bobbing Head Field Guide" (for vintage dolls only), there really aren't any good price guides out there! Lee's Toy Review magazine has guides for Funko and sometimes Neca bobbles....but that's about it. Tuff Stuff magazine made several half-hearted attempts at a guide, but they were so far behind and didn't have the resources to get accurate values that I wouldn't use their old guides at all. This is a new and growing collectible and it's almost impossible to get a handle on everything that's out there currently.
When considering value..I always check the market to see what things are selling for. Factor in retail price, price of shipping, availabilty and quality of the piece .....that should give you an approximate secondary market value.
These are just a few tips for collecting bobblehead dolls. I think the most important thing to know about collecting bobblehead dolls..or anything for that matter is to HAVE FUN! Buy what you like or buy what you think will be valuble.....but have fun doing it. It's fun meeting other collectors and finding new pieces.....and it's fun to finally get that one bobblehead doll that you've been looking for for months or years!
Enjoy!
Ian,
Here are a few tips for bobblehead doll collecting:
#1. What's your interest?
There are numerous categories of bobblehead dolls to choose from including:
Sports, Music, Cartoon, Vintage, Political, Historical, Cartoon, Movies and much more. Find your area of interest and start hunting...or collect a little from each category!
#2. Where to find bobblehead dolls?
Unfortunatley you can't walk in to any store and find bobblehead dolls. They are still few and far between. Ebay is a great place to start looking and a great place to do your research (the next tip).
Start browsing through auctions to see what bobbleheads are selling for and what to expect to pay in shipping fees (it aint cheap).
#3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
As with almost any collectible..one of the main things is to do your homework..research...research...research. The more you know, the more informed decisions you will make! Informed buyers and sellers do not overpay or undersell their bobblehead dolls. They know what questions to ask and what answers to give.
#4. How to display your bobblehead doll collection
Bobblehead dolls are not as fragile as some think, but they do need some care. Keep them on a shelf or in a display case away from sunlight (and hopefully away from dust)....and also away from curious hands that want to "bobble" them. It's best to put a piece of foam or cotton balls inside the neck to prevent bobbling.
You can clean them with a mild soap (I prefer Dawn) and dust them frequently with a soft dry cloth. Leaving your bobblehead dolls in the box is the best protective measure, but most collectors want to display them..which is great...and how it should be.
#5. Do my bobblehead dolls have to be on perfect condition?
Unfortunately , even the most minor of defects detracts from the value of your bobblehead doll. That siad...MANY bobbles have at least a few small defects....either from shipping, handling or even factory defects. So do not expect all your bobbles to be "museum quality". Do expect them to be free of major cracks and chips. Any seller worth his salt will describe each defect so that you will not be disappointed when you receive a less than perfect bobblehead doll. A mint, museum quality bobblehead doll is a thing of beauty and should demand top dollar on the secondary market.
#6. Has my bobblehead doll been repaired/restored?
It's easy (most of the time) to tell when a bobblehead doll has been repaired.....you can see a slightly different shade of paint, glue residue and other abnormalities...like a finger that's crooked/ backwards or a head that wobbles in a lop-sided fashion..or doesn't wobble at all. Some manufacturers DO repair certain bobbles before they leave the factory...especially if an entire run of one style has a major problem. In those instances...you can almost certainly tell it was a "factory job" (since the bobblehead doll came straight form the factory to you) and the value is almost completely unaffected. I still point out these defects though when selling.
#7. What's my bobblehead doll worth?
Other than the "Warman's Bobbing Head Field Guide" (for vintage dolls only), there really aren't any good price guides out there! Lee's Toy Review magazine has guides for Funko and sometimes Neca bobbles....but that's about it. Tuff Stuff magazine made several half-hearted attempts at a guide, but they were so far behind and didn't have the resources to get accurate values that I wouldn't use their old guides at all. This is a new and growing collectible and it's almost impossible to get a handle on everything that's out there currently.
When considering value..I always check the market to see what things are selling for. Factor in retail price, price of shipping, availabilty and quality of the piece .....that should give you an approximate secondary market value.
These are just a few tips for collecting bobblehead dolls. I think the most important thing to know about collecting bobblehead dolls..or anything for that matter is to HAVE FUN! Buy what you like or buy what you think will be valuble.....but have fun doing it. It's fun meeting other collectors and finding new pieces.....and it's fun to finally get that one bobblehead doll that you've been looking for for months or years!
Enjoy!
Ian,
Guide created: 12/02/06 (updated 06/17/08)
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