The Atlanta Braves unofficial Bobbleheads Doctor does a Q&A with us
By Kyle Walter
The Price isn’t always Right
I’ve noticed recently that prices for bobbleheads that the Atlanta Braves give out for free has been very high, in my opinion. The lowest price currently on eBay for the recent Ronald Acuna Jr. bobblehead is 55 dollars. What’s your take on the current prices?
DB: Well, generally there’s a large enough crowd of bobblehead collectors that prices are generally determined by supply-and-demand economics.
There are a number of factors that determine a bobblehead’s supply in the market, including factors you might not even consider. The Atlanta Braves drastically reduced the number of bobbleheads they gave out this year, from the first 20,000 fans in 2018 to the first 15,000 fans in 2019.
They also gave it out on a Friday night, where parking can be an absolute nightmare. I know a number of folks who didn’t get bobbleheads because a large number of people couldn’t park until after 5:30pm.
The gates opened around 5:20pm and I heard at least one gate ran out by 6:15pm. That’s over an hour before first pitch! Overall, they were fairly difficult to get, which leads me to demand.
The Star’s the Thing
There are lots of folks across the nation, who aren’t necessarily Braves fans, that were eager to get their hands on this bobblehead. Ronald is becoming a household name for all types of collectors, particularly card and memorabilia collectors. Demand is high, and will continue to be high.
It’s one of the more expensive Atlanta Braves SGA [“Stadium GiveAway”] bobbleheads, but far from the most expensive. The Sid Bream Slides bobblehead from 2012 frequently sells for $80+.
There are a lot of folks who blame the prices on the folks who work to take home multiple bobbleheads, particularly the ones who stand outside the stadium trying to buy them cheap and flip for a profit. I understand that take, but it’s actually those folks who help the hobby thrive.
My wife and I go to games, meaning we take home two every bobblehead game (assuming I don’t bring the whole family). That gives me an extra that I can use to trade for another bobblehead to add to my collection.
Likewise, it puts that bobblehead into another collector’s hands. Prices can be expensive, but the market ultimately sets the price.