Bobbleheads of baseball players are popular giveaways at ballparks across the nation. But why? Phil Sklar, co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, explains the attraction and how his museum aims to advance understanding of the historical role that bobbleheads play in American culture – while also celebrating the quirky side of collecting them.

In 2020, Sklar worked with Dreams Fulfilled and Kansas City’s Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to create a line of player bobbleheads for the centennial celebration of the Negro Leagues’ formation. That collection remains the Bobblehead Museum’s largest for a single organization.

Sklar talks about the history of bobbleheads, their versatility – they’re not just for sports – and what goes into producing them. He also discusses why these bobbly figures warranted the founding of a very niche museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.