Photo by Manda Kowalczyk
(originally published Dec. 2010)
Many Capitals fans have acquired quite a collection of bobbleheads over the past few years, and will be happy to hear that more are on the way. This past season, the Caps distributed Brooks Laich at the blood drive, Mike Knuble with the Caps Kids Club, and Alex Ovechkin in a Winter Classic uniform with the Holiday Pack. Semyon Varlamov came out for the March blood drive, and everyone in attendance for Fan Appreciation Day on April 6 received Nicklas Backstrom. Of the current Capitals, these fellas join Alexander Semin, John Carlson, Bruce Boudreau, Mike Green, Slapshot and other Ovechkins on the mantle.
Next up? Jeff Schultz at the July blood drive.
Photo by Ravings of a Rink Rebel
Since these are collectibles, they have different values on the open market, particularly now that the Caps are a hot commodity. But like any collectible, the value depends on supply and demand. The blood drive bobbles seem to be worth the most. This year’s Laich – limited to 1,000 – recently sold between $92 and $114 on eBay. Capitals Outsider reader Jeff Forsythe sold his lot of Carlson, Laich and Semin for $200. “This might be the only joy the Capitals bring me this holiday season,” he said.
What’s worth the least? Assuming we’re not talking about the old Jaromir Jagr and Chris Simon ones, any of the ones with ‘Geico’ or ‘Verizon’ splashed across the front and given to every fan in attendance won’t fetch as much as the others, though eager collectors may bid high soon after their distributed.
According to Kim Frank, the Caps’ Director of Fan Development and Promotions, it takes about two and a half months of planning to get these made, including a lot of back-and-forth with the manufacturer – after one is picked – and the factory in China. A few unstamped prototypes are made (read: ultra-rare) before they develop the final mold for mass production. They’ve also got to design the box, decide if they need a sponsor, and deal with getting them through customs.
What do the players think of this? We asked Knuble, who has 5,500 of his heads bobbling around town, most of which sold through the Capitals Kids Club.
So, what’s the deal with Ovechkin bobbleheads? There are a lot of them. The Capitals gave away many, some of which were sponsored and not hard to find. There are also several available on Amazon, including one of him alongside Sidney Crosby.
