Bobblehead boom has giveaway toys selling for hundreds of dollars
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A Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani bobblehead. Photo: Tom Wilson/MLB Photos via Getty Images
What once was a quirky giveaway has exploded into one of the hottest trends in sports memorabilia: bobbleheads that are more coveted than the games themselves.
- Some people are lining up hours early — not to cheer on the home team, but to snag a collectible they can flip for hundreds on the resale market.
Why it matters: In a marketplace that's seen everything from stocks to cryptocurrencies to hideous dolls surge in price, a simple kids' collectible has emerged as a surprisingly valuable asset.
What they're saying: "We're seeing bobbleheads sell for hundreds — even thousands — of dollars" on the resale market, Phil Sklar, co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, tells Axios.
- Resellers often grab multiples to flip them same-day.
- "You can probably get a ticket for $50, but the bobblehead's going for $200," Sklar said. "Some people don't even stay for the game."
- Sklar's Milwaukee museum is benefiting from the growing interest in the collectibles, with visitors pacing to rise 25% this year.
By the numbers: Resale website StockX told Axios the Travis Scott x Houston Rockets bobblehead, which was given out in 2020, has fetched the highest average resale price of any bobblehead on the platform — $158.
- More recently, a coveted Pittsburgh Pirates "Mac Miller" bobblehead had multiple sales on the platform around $300 this week.
Zoom in: Not all bobbleheads are created equal. Player popularity, edition size, and stadium quantity all influence resale prices
- In April, a Pirates Paul Skenes bobblehead created a frenzy, with fans lining up across a bridge to get one of just 20,000. The team ended up giving all fans one.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers — fresh off a World Series win — are capitalizing: They've issued multiple Shohei Ohtani bobbleheads this year. The next drops Aug. 27.
- The New York Yankees' "George Costanza sleeping under his desk" bobblehead, scheduled for Aug. 21, is already going for around $250 on eBay. The cheapest ticket to the game on Vivid Seats was $64 on Friday.
State of play: This isn't just about sports. The Pope, Elon Musk, and even viral sanitation workers have become fast-selling bobbleheads.
- Limited runs, like individually numbered editions, turn into collector grails overnight.
- "Our Pope Leo bobblehead is our best-seller of the year," Sklar said.
The intrigue: Kristin McGrath, senior editor at the Krazy Coupon Lady, said with the economy being uncertain consumers are doing "more reselling, more side hustles and more creative things to stretch their dollar."
- McGrath said people are targeting hyper-trending items like bobbleheads, Labubu or limited-time Happy Meal toys to sell them on the secondary market.
The bottom line: It's a big moment for toys that nod and wobble.
