The Shohei Ohtani bobblehead doll, with the Japanese star holding his dog, Dekopin, was free when the Dodgers handed it out to fans with tickets — and those persistent enough to line up for hours outside Dodger Stadium before Wednesday night’s game.
Now, if you want to get one, you better get ready to dig deep into your wallet.
The sought-after bobblehead dolls are currently selling for hundreds of dollars online, just two days after the Dodgers’ giveaway.
“I kind of cringe, as a dealer, at how much some of this stuff is going to cost,” said Matt Federgreen, owner of Beverly Hills Card Shop, who has dealt with sports collectibles since 1983.
A total of 40,000 bobbleheads were given away before the game against the Baltimore Orioles, but more than 53,000 tickets were sold. Unless fans arrived at the stadium early, they were out of luck.
Fans did get to see Ohtani’s dog, whose nickname is “Decoy,” throw out the first pitch.
To get the in-demand collector’s item now, people are paying anywhere between $150 to more than $1,500, according to listings and bids found on eBay and Facebook’s Marketplace.
The Dodgers also gave away a limited gold-colored Ohtani bobblehead, which is selling for hundreds of dollars more.
One listing for the gold-colored Ohtani on eBay asked for a tongue-in-cheek amount of $69,420, but it had no bids as of Friday afternoon.
Ohtani’s international popularity has sent prices soaring for some of his memorabilia. Some of the gold-colored bobbleheads have already sold online for $1,500 or more.
“Everything Ohtani that comes out right now, there’s profit to be made and people are going to jump on that,” Federgreen said.
One listing on eBay was selling the Ohtani and Decoy bobblehead for $169.50 on Friday afternoon, while another asked for $227.77. One seller has sold more than 30 dolls.
Another posting, on Facebook’s Marketplace, asked for $150 for the doll, but noted the box had been opened.
But listings for the gold doll, or for both of them, were found for more than $1,000.
One person in Anaheim, in a Facebook post, asked for $1,600 for the gold doll. Another, for both dolls, asked for $1,000, and included a picture of the dolls with Dodger Stadium in the background to add a bit more authenticity.
The Times reached out to several people who were selling the dolls online but did not immediately hear back from sellers.
Some postings asked for more than $2,000 but, as Federgreen noted, showed no signs that someone had bid or paid that price.
The Dodgers gave away another Ohtani bobblehead in May, five months after he signed a 10-year, $500-million deal. Fans also stood in line a good three hours before that game to make sure they got one.
For Federgreen, he said Ohtani is one of the reasons why his business has been doing so well recently.
Trading cards and memorabilia have seen increased popularity in recent years, he said, and stars such as Ohtani have helped.
On Thursday Topps, which is owned by Fanatics Collectibles, announced it was partnering with Ohtani in an exclusive trading card deal that will include cards, autographs and game memorabilia.
Details of how much the deal is worth weren’t released, Fanatics said it was a long-term agreement.
For Federgreen, he understands the demand for the Ohtani doll, but issues a mild warning for people willing to drop a few hundred bucks for it.
“There’s a lot of profiteering going on,” he said. “I don’t mess with stuff with things that are maybe short-term value.”
He notes that some collecting items that suddenly spike up in price will often dip down just as fast.
“It’s a cute bobblehead,” he said. “But you can buy something vintage for the same amount of money that retains value.”
