Francisco Liriano SGA or not Bobblehead

Here's another former Twins pitcher - Francisco Liriano, while he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Liriano was traded at the deadline in 2016.  From what I know, the bobbleheads were produced but then destroyed because of the trade.  The giveaway (scheduled shortly after the trade deadline) never happened and its quite possibly one of the more sought after Pirates modern day bobbleheads.  Typically when bobbleheads are "destroyed," a few, some or even many get past the destruction and eventually find their way to the secondary market.  That doesn't seem to be the case with this one.  

 

New Addition - Eagan Wildcats

Yet another bobblehead I never knew existed until I saw it!  And I'm sure there are plenty of other high school related bobbleheads that are out there.  If you know of any, please let me know!! Obviously I'd love to add it to the collection.  For now, a few new high school bobbles a year will have to do!  Introducing the Eagan Wildcats High School bobblehead!  Not only is it a bobblehead, its also a bobble-belly!

Looking forward to 2017

For the most part, it's not very difficult to find most of the current MN bobbles.  Typically the hardest are theme events and season ticket hold bobbles from the Twins.  So I've been expanding the collection a bit - looking at former minor league affiliates of the Twins.  I've found a few more but a lot of minor league clubs want to promote current players or fan favorites, and lets face it...there aren't a ton of fan favorites when it comes to Twins players from minor league teams.  However, the Salt Lake Bees (formerly the Salt Lake Buzz) did a David Ortiz bobblehead this past season that I previously blogged about.  Those are exactly the kind of bobbleheads I'm adding to my collection now.

Typically the collecting year starts with Twinsfest.  However, one of my favorite days of the year is January 7th.  Also known as National Bobblehead Day.  It'll be trending on pretty much all social media sites and its pretty damn fun to see other collections and specific bobbleheads.  I believe come February the Twins will announce their promotional schedule and we'll learn more about the bobbleheads they plan on doing in 2017!  Their minor league affiliates will most likely start announcing their promos in February or March.

Twins 2017 Bobbleheads

The past several years the Twins have sent out emails to season ticket holders regarding giveaway packages they can purchase.  I use to get them through my boss so have known about this opportunity for a while.  It's a great idea for the Twins, selling items that would be given away for free.  Many other pro teams do the same thing.  They usually share a few specific items that are part of the package and that's where bobbleheads come in.

For 2017 there are bobbleheads (yes, plural - which means at least 2) so I'm happy already but based on recent history my hunch is between 3 and 4.  There will also be a theme night Star Wars edition bobblehead.  And lastly there will be another Sweet Spot edition bobblehead.  These are the hardest to come by and usually have a production run between 1000 and 1500.  They are only given to select season ticket holders - making them valuable, hard to find, and of course - expensive.  

Plenty of collectors have discussed possible candidates for the bobbleheads this year.  I really have no clue.  The current team is tough because they are so many unproven players scattered with a few veterans who have recently had bobbles.  For whatever reason the Twins don't like to do bobbles of the same players in consecutive years.  Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton are 2 good bets.  Personally I'd love to see someone like Frank Viola get a bobble, wouldn't a Sweet Music bobble be awesome?  It'll be interesting to see who they come up with!  

Puckett Autographed Bobblehead

Sometimes you search for specific things and find exactly what you want, sometimes you just get plain lucky (aka - Ploehn luck).  A recent lot of bobbleheads I purchased were several Puckett bobbles.  I think 6 total, but many several were the same one.  From the pictures I received, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  Most times when I buy lots of bobbles I spend more time talking to the seller than actually looking at the bobbles.  I know enough about bobbles that after a quick glance I can tell if there is any damage (thats usually the only thing I look for).  For novice collectors, the main things you want to focus on when inspecting a bobblehead is the neck area and base for any chips or cracks.  If its a newer bobble where its not a standard player/mascot standing straight up, you'll want to look at any area that sits further away from the body of the bobble (the more distance the better chance of possible damage).

Once I got them home, I put them on a shelf and didn't think about them for a few weeks.  Then as I was looking thru them, taking a closer look at them...magic happened.  One was autographed.  Even tho I'm not an autograph guy, I know a decent amount about Puckett signatures and also have 2 buddies who know a ton about Puckett auto's.  So, Im pretty sure it's a legit signature and will be staying in my collection.  I believe thats a total of 3 Puckett bobbleheads that I have autographed!

New Addition - Bernie Gerl Bobblehead

Here's a recent addition of mine!  Bernie Gerl (click his name to learn more) has a fascinating yet tragic story.  The Duluth Huskies gave out this bobblehead earlier this summer.  Thanks to a friend of mine I was able to add it to the collection.  The Huskies kept this as a secret until the giveaway actually happened.  People waiting in line didn't know what bobblehead they were getting, even several Huskies employees didn't know.  Bernie Gerl didn't even know they were doing a bobblehead of him.  The Huskies worked with Bernie's family (who knew he'd absolutely love the bobble) to get the bobblehead produced.  This was quite a surprise to everyone in Duluth and a pretty memorable night at the ballpark.

Now, more about the bobble itself.  Obviously it has TONS of detail - which I love.  The catcher's gear is amazing.  The fact that the chest protector is being held is awesome.  And beyond that, its a nice heavy bobblehead.  I'd have to say...out of all bobblehead giveaways in 2016 (that I collect, which means anything related to Minnesota and their affiliates) this is the best one.  The detail, the weight, nothing is cheap about this bobble!

New Addition - Bud Grant Bobblehead

I acquired this bobblehead a while ago and finally got around to getting some pictures of it.  I had only heard about this one from a buddy of mine who is a memorabilia dealer.  He had a picture of it and I was hooked.  Then he told me there were only 3 produced...ever.  I believe the 3 in circulation (really they aren't circulating anywhere) were prototypes.  The 2 guys that had them made, brought them to Bud to sign off on (after he originally gave the go-ahead).  Bud ended up not signing off on them so they weren't produced for retail sale.

I told my friend, if he ever got one or knew of one that was available, I'd definitely be interested in it. Luckily that day came and I was able to add it to my collection.  This one is priceless and I definitely spent a pretty penny but in my mind, its the star of my collection.

Maverick - Residers Bobblehead

This is Maverick from the Residers.  Unfortunately I don't know much else about this bobble.  The little I know - there was originally a set of 4 Residers bobbles to be produced, but only this one and one other one was made.  The side of the box said that they were a garage band that started in Minneapolis.  Cool, unique and totally up my alley.  Luckily for me, my buddy Chris found this and picked it up, knowing I'd probably have an interest.  

New Addition - Dean & Rog Bobbleheads

I picked these 2 bobbleheads up recently, its a set of Dean & Rog, giveaway bobbleheads from the Houston Aeros (former affiliate of the Minnesota Wild).  Back in 2012, the Aeros did a giveaway of these 2 popular morning show hosts from the Houston area, I believe these are fairly limited but I'm unsure of the giveaway number.  They do lock together to make a nice little "dual" bobblehead!

New Addition - Brian Dozier Bobblehead

I didn't know about this bobblehead until after I saw a picture of it post giveaway game.  The Bethesda Big Train is a collegiate summer baseball team that pulls players from local colleges.  The Big Train has done bobbles in the past, but obviously a Dozier bobblehead grabbed my attention.  He played on the team in 2006!  This is a really rare bobblehead too - only 250 were produced and given away!  Dozier has been on quite a streak the last month, so I wanted to post this while he was hot...even tho the Twins are struggling.

New Addition - Sylvia Fowles

Here's the latest addition to my collection - a Sylvia Fowles bobblehead.  I've blogged about this one recently and just picked up mine today.  First time the Lynx have done a specialized box and as you all know, I'm a fan of them.  I understand the plain white boxes, but a nice box like this, letting you know what bobblehead is inside just adds a little!  As usual, the Lynx did a great job with the bobble, nothing crazy, but a classic basketball bobblehead.

New Addition - Bill Veeck

I recently saw this bobblehead of Bill Veeck for sale and pulled the trigger pretty fast.  I didn't know much about it, but thought it was a cool bobblehead and it has Minnesota ties - since Bill's son, Mike, is the owner of the Saint Paul Saints.  He was known as quite the promoter and the Saints have followed suit with their ideals and promotion plans.  This bobble was given out a few years ago by the Charleston RiverDogs and not only features a bobblehead, but also a bobble-leg. Click the link above and this one to learn more about Bill Veeck!

New Addition - Ag Star Bobblehead

My latest addition is an Ag Star bobblehead.  I don't know much about it.  Having grown up on a farm, I know plenty about Ag Star but haven't seen much about the bobble.  I'm guessing back in the early 2000s (it just looks like most bobbles did back then) Ag Star produced a small allotment of bobbles for their locations and employees.  Ag Star is headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota.

Sneak Peek - Miguel Sano Sweet Spot Bobblehead

Another sneak peek, this time, it's the bobblehead the Twins are giving to select season ticket holders, commonly known as the "Sweet Spot" bobblehead.  It's definitely a very cool looking bobblehead and I'm pretty sure Success Promotions is behind it - which makes me very very happy!

Sneek Peak - Sylvia Fowles Bobblehead

Back in May I blogged about the Sylvia Fowles bobblehead the Lynx are giving out later this month (August 28th).  I've got a picture of it now and happy to show it off, just like all other recent Lynx bobbles, this is another solid one, and I'm pretty sure its by AGP.  Check it out!

Sneak Peek - Minnesota Wild Mascot Nordy

Here's a quick picture of a new Minnesota mascot coming out.  This is being produced by a fellow collector and I have to say - it looks absolutely awesome.  If you read my blog very often, you'll know I'm a mascot fan.  Hell, if I started collecting bobbleheads today - I'd focus on mascots.  Mascots are some of the best bobbleheads produced!  Introducing Nordy!

Sneak Peek - St. Paul Saints Dan Stoltz Bobblehead

The Saints are giving away this cool bobblehead tonight.  It's the second version of a Dan Stoltz bobblehead the Saints have done (last year they did a King Boreas version - from the Winter Carnival).  Dan is the CEO of Spire Credit Union which has sponsored both bobbleheads.  This year, he's being recognized as the Commodore of the Minneapolis Aquatennial! The detail and craftsmanship on this bobblehead (along with the one from last year) is awesome.  It's a pretty sweet looking bobblehead and I'll have it in my collection soon!

New Addition - Eric Milton

I've been trying to keep up with the blog lately but thats proven to be quite a challenge with a 3 week old!  I've got several new additions ready to be blogged about and am hopeful that I can get them posted over the next couple of weeks. This is the second Eric Milton bobblehead I have - both are minis.  This is a giveaway from the State College Spikes.  Back in 2013, the Spikes honored Milton (a hometown hero) with his own mini bobblehead.  Read more about it here!

Paul Allen Bobblehead - Canterbury Park

Sunday the 21st of August is Minnesota Festival of Champions Day at Canterbury Park.  It'll feature 8 races with $600,000 in purse money up for grabs.  Canterbury Park is also giving away a Paul Allen talking bobblehead!  Obviously most of my readers will know what Canterbury Park is and who Paul Allen is.  If you don't, click the links. This will be PA's second Canterbury Park bobblehead.  A unique twist on this one is, its a talking bobblehead.  The first 4000 paid attendees will get the bobble and will be able to hear PA make his legendary call of "AP is Loose!"  You might think the audio is in reference to Vikings stud running back Adrian Peterson, but "AP is Loose" is also the name of a horse at Canterbury Park and is expected to run on August 21st!

I'm sure you'll hear PA make his iconic call this fall, but now you can hear it whenever you want - IF you get the bobblehead!  It's a great bobblehead and I can't wait to add it to my collection!!

Sneak Peek - Twins Vintage Bobblehead

So last year the Twins did a vintage bobble-boy bobblehead.  This year they are doing a vintage bobble-girl bobblehead.  That day is fast approaching - July 31st!  I've shared this picture a couple different times on my blog, but since the giveaway day is close - I wanted to make one more blog post on it!