Bobbleheads Bobble Sniper

If the Dodgers, Yankees and Angels had a mascot, what would it be?

by | May 3, 2018 | Sniper Rants

So I did some recon and for the record, the following three teams do not have a current active mascot. The Dodgers, Yankees and Angels are without a furry little fucker running around. Apparently, the Yankees had a mascot named “Dandy” from 1979-1981. He had a scruffy mustache similar to Thurman Munson and named after the “Yankee Doodle Dandy” folk song. He looks scary as fuck like some Sesame Street pedophile so no wonder why the Yankees got rid of him.

Maybe the Yankee organization under George wanted to stay classy and not be bothered by silly hairy creatures running around Yankee Stadium.

The Dodger mascot thing is even more strange. Back in 2014 against the SF Giants, some goofy ass creature was running around the stadium and fans flocked to it to take selfies with it.

Apparently, the executive vice president of marketing labeled this creature as a “unique performance character”. It looks weird from the pictures and I would assume the Dodgers kicked him to the curb. I’m never out there for a game so I wouldn’t know. It doesn’t seem to have any correlation to the Dodgers at all and still to this day, I really can’t come up with a legit mascot for the Dodgers. I know there’s a huge LA following here, so maybe you Snipers can suggest some ideas and we’ll get the ball rolling for a new mascot. There’s also that huge bobblehead outside of the stadium that many Dodger fans consider the team’s mascot, but it obviously can’t fire up the crowd and dance on top of the dugout.

The L.A. Angels are a mystery as far as a mascot is concerned. They never established an official mascot and it’s a shame. In recent years, this “Rally Monkey” thing has come about and fans twirl this little fucking thing around in the air. I looked into it, and the Rally Monkey is not an “official” mascot of the team. For some reason upper management or even the owner has not made the monkey the official team mascot, as he most likely thinks it’s fucking stupid and silly at the same time. I mean come on, what the fuck is a Rally Monkey?

So those are the 3 teams that don’t have mascots. I have no real opinion on what the Yankees, Dodgers and Angels should use for a team mascot. All I know is these teams need to get their asses in gear. It’s fucking 2018 and any real fan needs and loves a team mascot shaking his or her shit all over the ballpark. I mean christ almighty, the fucking Brewers have like 11 mascots alone. Leave a comment on your take on these 3 slacker teams that seemingly refuse to have a mascot join their respected squads.

What’s the furthest you’d travel to score a bobblehead at a game?

by | Apr 30, 2018 | Sniper Rants

Listen, we all want that one bobble that’s half way across the country. And yes, we can’t just take a plane and spend hundreds of dollars on a hotel and food to score it. Many collector’s just say fuck it and buy a new bobble off of Ebay. Although, I do know some diehard collectors that actually NEED to go to the game. It’s all about the experience of going there and having the bobble literally being handed to them. 

If I didn’t have two young children and such as busy schedule, I’d probably drive 4-5 hours tops. And you bet your ass I’d clean fucking house to make the trip worth going. I think any Sniper that travels anywhere between 2-4 hours driving wise, needs to clear 10-15 bobbles to make it worth it. 

Either send me either a DM on Insta, Facebook, Twitter or email me at bobblesniper@gmail.com and share your thoughts on how far you’d travel. I’d like to know. 

Can Success Promotions go back to back with the SGA of the Year?

by | Apr 6, 2018 | Sniper Rants

My first SGA manufacturer “Bobble of the Year” went to Success as they nailed the “Squints” Brooklyn Cyclones SGA bobble. It was perfect. Between the detail, lettering, and superb facial recognition, the Squints bobble was a no brainer. As we ease into the 2018 season of SGA’s, can Success Promotions repeat? 

The biggest question we as collector’s have, is we don’t necessarily know who the manufacturer is until we look at the bottom of the base. Since I have pinpoint fucking vision, I can usually tell by a picture on a teams website. Another slight problem we face, is there is so many SGA’s this year, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of all of them. There is a shit ton of “Theme Night” giveaways for both MLB and Minor League. Between Game of Thrones, The Sandlot, Christmas Vacation, Major League (the movie) and Star Wars to name a few, it’s extremely difficult to keep up. 

Early indications show that the May 4th Aaron Judge is in the running for the “Bobble of the Year”, and there’s more than a handful of one’s that pictures are not provided just yet. It’s going to be a long and exciting season and given the precision detail Success Promotions puts into their products, I don’t see why they can’t win the title again. We all know there are at least 4-5 top manufacturing companies that create bobbles for us collector’s and at any given moment, someone could knock a SGA out of the park. 

Stay tuned as the reviews will start pouring in and we will revisit this topic OFTEN throughout the season!

Are bobbleheads the best thing to collect as far as sports memorabilia?

by | Apr 4, 2018 | Sniper Rants

What really is the best piece of sports memorabilia to collect as a fan?

We all have our own shit we collect as fans. Autographed baseballs, bobbleheads, baseball cards, jersey’s, helmets you name it. Whatever it is that fans collect, the value of each item fluctuates. A signed Hall of Fame Mike Piazza jersey goes for big bucks. A Nolan Ryan autographed baseball could go for $85.00 to $100.00. Bobbleheads on average can range from $10.00 to $300.00 give or take what bobblehead it actually is. 

You know my answer, as I feel bobbleheads are the most unique items to collect and here’s why. They move and there’s thousands beyond thousands of all types and they all look different. The hunt and chase for specific bobbles you want can be extremely difficult. Trying to score a hard to find bobblehead can be super frustrating, but that is what the “hunt” is all about. 

Collecting a piece of cardboard (baseball card) and putting it in a plastic case doesn’t do shit for me. Having a baseball card graded for condition doesn’t flatter me at all. Some high end baseball cards are known to produce 25,000 to 50,000, so how rare can they be?

Baseballs. Getting a baseball signed by Mike Trout and putting it in a clear plastic cube does nothing for me. It doesn’t move. It just sits there. If you have 100 baseballs signed in a display case, they all look the same. It looks like a plain white wall with sphere shapes. Another thing, how many balls do you think Trout signs per year? 10,000? 20,000? How about when Steiner Sports and card shows pay Trout to sign items? During a 2 hour card show, Trout probably signs another 1,000 balls! So why is having a Mike Trout baseball so desirable to a collector when there’s sooooooo many available? Doesn’t make sense to me. 

Signed jerseys. Now these are cool to collect. Getting an authentic $300.00 jersey that you bought in a team store or online and then having your favorite player sign it, is bad ass. Not to many people can afford the price of a true “authentic jersey” and then to get it signed and glass frame it, is rare.  Jersey’s are very expensive and I respect the passion of collecting jerseys. 

Basically, bobbleheads are the most affordable, unique items to collect and if you haven’t started just yet, it’s time to get your ass in gear and start collecting. You heard it here first and once you start, it’s damn near impossible to stop. Get going and enjoy the hunt!

Who will have the better career? Corey Seager or Cody Bellinger?

by | Mar 20, 2018 | Sniper Rants

Who ends up having the better career when all is said and done? Belly or Seager?

Listen, both guys are fucking studs and they both won the Rookie of the Year award. Both guys are beloved in Dodger world and they are definitely worth the price of admission. Take a look at their rookie stats.

Seager

AB 627

Runs 105

Hits 193

Rbi’s 72

Walks 54

Strike Outs 133

HR 26

Avg. 308

Bellinger

AB 480

Runs 87

Hits 128

Rbi’s 97

Walks 64

Strike Out’s 146

HR 39

Avg. 267

Comparing both players stats, you gotta remember Bellinger was brought in late and didn’t start the season like Seager did. Therefore, his stats differ, especially in At Bats. 

Seager is a better “pure” hitter who makes much more contact. When Belly is up, the Dodger faithful hold their breathe, as a monstrous Home Run can happen at every plate appearance. They both compliment each other very well. One is a power hitter and one is a contact hitter. When thinking of longevity, Bellinger wins, as first basemen typically last longer. 

I think Seager will go through nagging injuries his whole career but nothing drastic. A sprained finger, a rolled ankle at best. Bellinger will stay healthy. Power hitters tend to last longer and we see that in Pujols, Cabrera and Bautista. Shortstops on the other hand can hold up just as long as Ozzie Smith, Omar Vizuel, Derek Jeter and even Nomar Garciappara lasted pretty long. 

Gun to my head, Bellinger will only get better and is built for this league. He’s a solid sized fucking dude and if he doesn’t go through mental break downs at the plate, we are looking at the next Barry Bonds NOT on steroids. Seager will have a fine career. You can easily, and I mean easily see 3,000 hits without blinking twice. Christ, he had 193 his rookie year! 

I’d love both players any day of the week on my team and no one can argue their talent. Bellinger wins in the better overall career category but Seager isn’t far behind. 

The best advice for a beginner bobblehead collector.

by | Mar 13, 2018 | Sniper Rants

I get questions all the time by new collectors about “How to start a bobblehead collection”. I love the enthusiasm and the passion of you young bucks. Here’s my best advice for a beginning collector.

You have to have a pinpoint direction when starting a collection. For the time being, stick to one team, just mascots, just the NL East or one sport. Don’t use me for example as my collection has gotten out of control very fast. I have bobbles of baseball, football, basketball to movie characters to MMA etc. Stick to one theme. If you don’t, your pockets will be empty faster than a pig can take a shit in a pen. It’s impossible to collect 4-5 different themed or sports bobbleheads when starting out. Unless you have $20,000 laying around, don’t do it. 

I did it the wrong way when I first started. I bought NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL all at once and shit got out of control fast. Collecting various sports, players and mascots will come over time. Get your feet wet with your favorite team for a year or so. Then, slowly move into another team or mascots. You’ll thank me in the long run because I’ve seen other collector’s try and complete all top players in every sport and they maxed out their credit cards. 

Bobbleheads aren’t going anywhere and there’s waaaaaaay to many of them. Be patient when collecting and most importantly, have fun collecting. Stick to one theme when starting out. Period.