Twinsfest 2017

It's that time of year again that the Twins announce details surrounding Twinsfest.  Twinsfest 2017 will be held from January 27th through January 29th.  No surprise there as its typically at the end of January.  More details can be found here.  They'll update that more page with info over the next several weeks and then probably a week or so before the event, they'll release the map and details surrounding the player autograph sessions and other events they have during the weekend.  I typically try to hit up the Friday session with a buddy of mine.  We've had good luck in the past and it should be another fun time.  I was somewhat hoping they'd move to a different location.  Personally, I think its hard for Target Field to handle the event since its not an all enclosed stadium like the dome was. The memorabilia and collectors showcase use to be really good (tons of vendors) but had dropped significantly the past few years because of limited space.  

New Addition - Casey Blake Bobblehead

Here's another new addition I recently picked up for a pretty good price.  Casey Blake (briefly played for the Twins) depicted here in his Indianola High School jersey.  Blake was a stud high school athlete that the Iowa Cubs recognized with a bobblehead (pretty much the ultimate honor, right)!  It's not exactly a Minnesota themed bobble, but since I knew about this one for a while, I've always kept my eyes open for it, tho it was only limited to 1500 and many Iowa fans Im sure have this one sitting on a display because of his local popularity!  

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.