Bobblehead museum gets the nod of approval from visitors

WHAT do Shrek, Jackie Kennedy, Aaron Rodgers and Wonder Woman have in common?

You will find bobblehead versions of them – and many more characters – at the new National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Wisconsin, US.

Co-founders Phil Sklar and Brad Novak have collected bobbleheads for more than a decade, but it wasn’t until four years ago that the friends decided to turn their hobby into a business. Their museum opened on February 1, and displays more than 6 500 bobbleheads, making it home to what it calls the largest collection in the world.

Sklar said: “Our goal is that people leave the museum with more knowledge and curiosity than when they got here.”

Bobbleheads date from the 1700s, when decorative Chinese nodding-head figures could be found in Europe. They gained popularity in the US in the 1960s with the creation of sports bobbleheads for players such as Willie Mays.

Older bobbleheads – some of which are in the museum – were made from papiermâché

or ceramic, which could easily crack or chip. Modern bobbleheads use plastic or resin and are more durable.

With its second-floor location in a busy neighbourhood, the museum feels like a library, cultural centre and cosy hangout in one space. Stop by the wall map to mark your hometown city with a pin, then nod a hello to the 6-foot-tall bobblehead and listen to the museum’s catchy theme song.

The museum has sections for sports, pop culture, history and politics. On the shelves, bobbleheads stand in tidy rows. With the push of a button, some of the figurines\ even talk. As visitors stroll, they can read facts about bobblehead history and the real people who inspired the figurines.

Bianca Ladd, 10, of Milwaukee, admired the collection of animal bobbleheads.. “Some of the bobbleheads here are really big. One is even taller than me.”

Lillian Pollnow, 10, was visiting from Illinois. Pointing out a Bruce Lee bobblehead to her father, Adam, she said she recognised the martial-arts star from non-fiction books.

Wandering the aisles, you will see

popular television and cartoon characters from different generations. There are bobbleheads from Betty Boop, Peanuts, South Park and The Simpsons, among others.

Sports fans will appreciate the large collection of player and mascot bobbleheads representing professional and college teams. In the pop culture section, the wizard Gandalf, from The Lord of the

Rings, towers over several smaller hobbit bobbleheads. There is a collection of creepy villains from horror movies – placed on a high shelf to avoid startling the youngest visitors.

Eagle-eyed guests will spot a rare

Albert Einstein bobblehead with real, flowing hair. There are also bobbleheads of presidents, celebrities and Supreme Court justices.

For those who want to explore the exhibits in a more structured way, the museum offers scavenger hunts.

In addition to running the museum,

Sklar and Novak work with a manufacturer to produce custom bobbleheads for sale. Creating a bobblehead takes 90 days.

So far, the collection is earning nods of approval from the visitors.

Sklar said: “Walking in, kids are excited and overwhelmed because there are so many different bobbleheads. It’s hard to get bored.” – Washington Post

Bobbleheads gained popularity in the US in the 1960s, with the creation of sports bobbleheads for players. There are now hundreds of variants, such as the cast of the TV series ‘The Office’.