A Nod to Fame

DC4 Report Publication: STAR (THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR) Day: 6. FRI (FRI) Page: E01 Copyright: Yes

Edition: FINAL EDITION Date: 20040903 Section: FEATURES − INDIANA LIVING Byline: BY KIMIKO L. MARTINEZ KIMIKO.MARTINEZ@INDYSTAR.COM

A Nod to Fame Athletes are the most popular collectible bobbleheads, but you can be one, too.

BY KIMIKO L. MARTINEZ KIMIKO.MARTINEZ@INDYSTAR.COM I've got a big head. Literally. And I can't stop smiling.

This week, I became one of an elite group that includes professional athletes, politicians and actors. We are the few, the proud, the bobbleheaded.

Anyone who's anyone, it seems, has had himself or herself bobbled. Shaquille O'Neal, Anna Nicole Smith, Donald Trump, George W. Bush and, my personal favorite, Wonder Woman, are among the delightful collectibles that can be found on eBay. A recent search showed rare, vintage "nodders" like a 1960 New York Yankees Mickey Mantle going for nearly $1,000, while talking Ozzy Osbourne dolls could be purchased for less than 5 bucks.

And now I'm one of them.

I really shouldn't get such a big head about it though, because, really, anybody can be bobbled. Simply upload, e−mail or send in a few pictures to companies like Whoopass Enterprises' bobbleme.com or Des Moines, Iowa, bobblehead artist Bryan Guise at ItsYouSmall.com, and you'll receive a customized bobble by mail in just a few weeks.

Whoopass produces customized heads on pre−made bodies for $40.95 and up. A completely customized head and body goes for $75. Guise's creations cost $200 for custom, hand−carved dolls in various settings and poses. In the past, he's created a karaoke singer complete with microphone, Star Wars characters and entire families.

Recently, he's received a slew of orders for soldiers serving overseas. He's also donated his services to the Des Moines police department −− to give back something to the community.

"I love doing this," said Guise, 27. "You would think you'd get really tired of it, but I want to do this for the rest of my life."

Good sports Though there are many celebrity−inspired bobbleheads, most serious collectors seem to prefer those resembling athletes.

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DC4 Report Greg Gasta, 33, of Mishawaka, began collecting just over three years ago when he attended his first bobblehead giveaway at a St. Louis Cardinals game.

"The Cardinals were playing the San Francisco Giants, and I went hoping to see Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds hit a home run," Gasta said. "Neither did during the game, but they gave fans plenty to talk about as they crushed ball after ball into the upper−deck at Busch Stadium. The bobblehead was a nice memento from the game."

Gasta left the stadium with a Cardinals' Mike Matheny doll. Since that 2001 game, he's attended 20 other stadium giveaways in six states and two countries. His collection includes nearly 100 bobbleheads, 63 of which were stadium giveaways and all but 10 baseball−related.

According to Gasta, the price of a stadium giveaway doll −− abbreviated SGA for those in collector and trading circles −− can be anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars, depending on the demand for the doll and how many are given away.

Some sports teams distribute the dolls only to children under a certain age, while others will hand them out only to season ticket holders. The more limited the distribution, the more valuable a doll might be.

Fans camped out for days to collect an Ichiro Suzuki bobblehead given out by the Seattle Mariners a few years ago, and in 2001, a brawl practically ensued when adults found out that the Philadelphia 76ers would be giving the Allen Iverson bobbleheads only to children 15 and younger.

Many minor−league teams give away bobbleheads as well. But with a smaller fan base, some teams will hand out only 500, Gasta said. Other teams, like the Indianapolis Indians, have given out 4,000.

According to Indianapolis Indians spokesman Mike Wolinsky, the team has had "a lot of interest in the two bobblehead promotions we've done previously" −− one featuring Bob Uecker, the other a dual bobblehead featuring Felipe and Moises Alou. Indians fans recently also received bobbleheads of former manager Don Zimmer.

According to Gasta, many collectors will either trade these hard−to−get items on boards like Bobbleheadolls.com, or sell them on eBay. He traded his first acquisition, the Mike Matheny doll, for a Chicago White Sox Nellie Fox bobble that was given away exclusively to season ticket holders in the 2002 season.

"If I had to choose a favorite bobble in my collection, it would be the Nellie Fox, as his signature wad of chewing tobacco in (his) cheek is visible," Gasta said. "Or my Lansing Lugnuts Felix Pie SGA, as it was the first SGA my girlfriend attended with me."

Since then, Gasta has taken the Felix Pie doll with him to various stadiums −− Detroit, Indianapolis, Cincinnati −− and taken its picture there.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this," Gasta says jokingly, "but seeing as he has attended several games with us, I guess you could say he is almost family."

Iowa artist Guise said the custom bobble business is great. The cheerful−looking dolls make great gifts and are a unique way of honoring an individual.

According to Guise, requests for bobbles of deceased family members are not uncommon.

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DC4 Report What better way to remember someone than with a smiling face and a ridiculously large head? It's hard not to smile.

That's one of the biggest reasons Gasta said he continues to collect.

"I don't really expect my bobbleheads to be worth a fortune someday, so it's not for the investment purposes," he said.

"So why do I continue to obtain them, even though many of them are still in their boxes, as I do not have room to display them? I guess I just enjoy the way they make me smile when I walk by them."

Call Star reporter Kimiko Martinez at (317) 444−6305.

I really shouldn't get such a big head about it, though, because, really, anybody can be bobbled. _____________________________________________ Top Bobbles on eBay These were the top 10 bobble− heads, by price, for sale on eBay earlier this week: 1. Roberto Clemente bobbing nodder head, 1962, starting bid $2,499 2. Rare black Orioles baseball nodder, starting bid $1,000 3. Cleveland Browns Brownie elf kissing nodder, $999 bid 4. 1960s Philadelphia Eagles black bobbin doll nodder, $895 5. '62 Roberto Clemente bobbing head bobber nodder, $731 bid 6. '60s Washington Senators black bobbing head, $485 bid 7. 1961 Detroit Tigers black nodder bobbing head, $338 bid 8. Ohio State National Champs bobblehead set, starting price $299.99 9. Various 36−inch sports bobbleheads, $299.99 10. Vintage Dobie Gillis' Maynard Krebs Nodder MIB, $275 TEXT NAME: BOBBLE21 SLUG: TOPIC: SUBJECT: AMUSEMENTS KEYS: bobbleheads TYPE: CENTERPIECE, INFOBOX, LIST GEOGRAPHIC: ART TYPE: PHOTO ART CAPTION:Mpozi Mshale Tolbert / The Star

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DC4 Report File photos It's me! Bobbleme.com used submitted pictures like the one above to create a bobblehead in Kimiko's likeness (right). The flower was left out because it was too fragile.

From left, Ron Hunter, head coach at IUPUI; Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever star and recent gold medal winner at the Olympics; Arnold Schwarzenegger, California governor.

Local and national celebs who got bobbled From left, Ron Hunter, head coach at IUPUI; Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever star and recent gold medal winner at the Olympics; Arnold Schwarzenegger, California governor.

Mpozi Mshale Tolbert / The Star Head to toe: Kimiko Martinez sent in a full−body piecutre so she could get a customized head and body doll. The full−size version costs about $75 at bobbleme.com Photos provided by the Indianapolis Indians

PROC: STATUS:

In miniature: Bobblehead figures of Indianapolis Indians manager Cecil Cooper (left) and former Indians player Larry Walker were given away by the Indians.

H Sent

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