Today, Caps Outsider is releasing a new database of every Caps bobblehead ever made, including the retail, stadium giveaways, and special giveaways.
The first Capitals bobblehead we could find is the Caps Vintage Player created by Skore in 1989 (pictured). It is a two-piece bobblehead (head is one piece, while the body base and accessories makes up the second piece), is made out of plastic, and has painted colors and stickers for the uniform details.
In 2001, the bobblehead stadium giveaway era began in the NHL, and the Caps jumped on board with four in the 2001-2002 season. Chris Simon was the first. That same year, Capitals bobbleheads could be purchased in the retail market or through collecting card companies. The retail market featured star players with a burst of releases from 2002-2004, which included many Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads and a Men of Ice series.
Starting around 2007, a steady release of bobbleheads began – both retail and stadium giveaways – and the craze is bigger than ever now. But one era, involving lots of blood, is already over.
The Red Cross, and later, Inova Blood Services, were looking to increase turnout at blood drives, so they partnered with sports teams, including the Washington Capitals. Starting in 2008, they held blood drives and gave out bobbleheads as gifts to donors. The first one given out, Rod Langway, was on February 9, 2008. Through 2020, 40 Capitals players, coaches, announcers and even Slapshot have been featured on their bobbleheads.
The unveiling of the bobbleheads was always exciting. Collectors tried to figure out the viable candidates and some websites, including this one, wrote about possibilities (“Which Caps Bobbleheads are coming in 2015-16? A Statistical Breakdown”). Inova and the Capitals built up the suspense by only announcing the bobblehead after a certain number of donors had signed up. Sometimes, the player even showed up at the blood drive. While the pandemic brought an end to the promotion, the Inova blood drive bobbleheads are still found on eBay and are very popular.
For those of you looking to get into collecting Capitals bobbleheads, here are a few ways to get started:
- The easiest way to get started is through a Stadium Giveaway (SGA) night, where the Capitals give out a bobblehead of a featured player. The Caps are holding three this season.
- Team giveaways (other than SGA) – Monumental Sports has other bobblehead “gifts.” These have been for season ticket holders, Slapshot grams at the stadium, Kids Club memberships, and special ticket packages. These are inconsistent and you really need to keep your eye out for these kinds of offers.
- Retail – Companies have created and sold bobbleheads on the retail market for years. Alex Ovechkin has many bobbleheads out there. These are often sold online, in the stadiums or through other retail outlets. Special editions and variants sell out very quickly so again, you need to stay on top of releases. FOCO often has some in stock.
- The secondary market – Bobbleheads can almost always be found on eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, and other online sites. In addition, one might find them in antique stores, Goodwill and even a good old-fashioned yard sale. Prices very but the fun is in the hunt … and if you can get a bargain!
Happy collecting!
Check out the Caps bobblehead database here.
Also, we have a list of Hershey Bears and South Carolina Stingrays, too!
Check out Nodder Index for more information.
