Eagles commemorative bobbleheads expected to be in high demand By Donna Rovins

Milwaukee, Wis. >> There is a lot of fan merchandise sold relating to the NFL and the Super Bowl, and for the last 15 years one popular tradition has been the creation of a line of bobblehead collectibles in honor of the winning team.
For the first time, the Philadelphia Eagles are being commemorated with a series of Super Bowl LII Champion bobbleheads — figures wearing the official Super Bowl jersey, with a likeness of the Super Bowl ring on the base of the figure.
According to Phil Sklar, the co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wis., the Eagles championship bobbleheads are expected to be among the most sought after Super Bowl collectibles for Eagles fans.
“The first time a team wins a championship; there is always a lot of excitement. If the (New England) Patriots had won again, there wouldn’t have been as big an interest,” said Sklar in an interview, adding that the early interest in the Eagles championship line is similar to what was seen when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016.
“The number of inquiries we began receiving even before the Eagles won the Super Bowl was beyond anything we have ever seen before,” he added.
Bobbleheads are miniature statues of individuals with heads that, well, “bobble” when the figure is moved.
According to Sklar, bobbleheads have been a popular retail item since the early 1960’s when generic team bobbleheads were sold at stadiums and general stores across the country.
“As technology has advanced, bobbleheads now resemble the subjects more and can be in virtually any pose,” he said.
Sklar said one of the things that makes a bobblehead such a special collectible is that it’s something that can be passed down from generation to generation.
“People can share them with their kids, and share with them how they celebrated on that day,” Sklar added.
But the appeal of the Eagles series of bobbleheads is broader, Sklar added.
“It’s because of the story. They were underdogs that overtook the Patriots. And with Nick Foles doing what he did after Carson Wentz was injured, even if you’re just a casual fan, it’s something that resonates,” he said.
The Super Bowl LII Champion bobbleheads feature 24 Philadelphia Eagles players; team mascot, Swoop, with a replica Super Bowl ring standing on a base in the shape of the Super Bowl LII Champions logo; and a Nick Foles MVP replica holding the MVP trophy. The series also includes a set of mini bobbleheads featuring Jay Ajayi, Nick Foles, Zach Ertz and Fletcher Cox in action poses. Three-foot tall bobbleheads of Nick Foles, Swoop and Zach Ertz are also being produced.
Sklar said the Philadelphia Eagles series features the most players ever produced in any Super Bowl Bobblehead series.
Asked if there was a player who might be one of the bigger sellers, Sklar said Wentz and Foles would be among the top three, along with Swoop, the mascot.
The Super Bowl Champion bobbleheads, produced by FOCO, have just gone into limited production and will ship in June. The figures are officially licensed by the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.
The complete line is available to pre-order now from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. While the collectibles will be available from other merchandisers, Sklar said pre-ordering now, assures that collectors can get the figure — or figures they want.
“They are limited production, so when they are sold out, they’re gone,” he said.
Among the most popular bobbleheads, according to Sklar, are the Championship series, which feature the key players and mascot from the winning teams (NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB) with the trophy or ring.
“Every year, bobbleheads continue to gain in popularity as more people enter the hobby,” Sklar said. “Bobbleheads have continued to be the top drawing promotional item ever since the San Francisco Giants had the first bobblehead giveaway — a Willie Mays bobblehead on May 9, 1999.”
Sklar co-founded the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum with Brad Novak in 2014.
“We came up with the idea to create a Hall of Fame dedicated to bobbleheads because of our passion for them and the need in the market for a company that produces and markets them,” Sklar said.
The Hall of Fame and Museum held a preview exhibit in 2016. The initial collection of 3,000 unique bobbleheads has since grown for more than 7,000 as collectors make donations to the museum. A permanent location has been under construction in Milwaukee and is scheduled to open in April.
“We will have the Eagles championship bobbleheads on display. It will be a lot of fun to have them all out,” Sklar said.