Dustin Hughes usually doesn't sell his collectables - especially Minnesota Twins bobblehead dolls.
But when Hughes saw how much money a set of 1965 Twins stars bobbleheads was selling for on the Internet auction site Ebay.com, he couldn't resist.
So Hughes, whose family owned five different bobbleheads from the set of 10 given away, sold the five to an Ebay bidder for $975.
"You might as well sell them if you're going to get that much for them," the 22-year-old said.
Hughes was one of thousands who wanted to be the first to get their hands on the limited-edition bobbleheads before the Twins' game against the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 21.
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An estimated 10,000 bobbleheads - 1,000 of each player - were given away at Metrodome entrances.
The set became an instant hit.
Some collectors camped outside the dome the night before the giveaway to ensure their place in the front of the line.
"That one was pretty hectic," said Hughes. "There was probably more people for that one (giveaway) than there had been in a long time."
Hughes, the manager at Big Nick's Sports Cards in the West Acres mall, owns quite a few Twins bobbleheads. He doesn't know an exact number, although he said 50 would be a good estimate.
The Barnesville, Minn., resident and his family usually scope out Twins bobblehead giveaway dates before choosing which game they'll attend.
"I think they look nice to display," Hughes said. "Sit them on the ledge in your room and try to get as many as you can up there."
Since 2000 the Twins have given away 34 different bobbleheads. Many are modeled after classic stars while some are of current players.
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"There's always a little added excitement around the ballpark when it's a bobblehead date," said Patrick Klinger, the Twins vice president of marketing. "It's almost a party on the plaza."
The limited-edition 1965 set, which includes Twins greats Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva and Jim "Mudcat" Grant, was made in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Twins first American League championship team.
Not long after the giveaway, several of the bobbleheads were being auctioned on Ebay.
The most expensive asking price was $3,000 for the 1965 set of 10. A more reasonable set is currently less than $1,000. That auction closes at 6:50 p.m. today.
"It's something totally unique that no baseball team has done before," said Bob Larson, owner of Fargo collectible shop Talkin' Baseball.
Although every team has given away bobbleheads to its fans, no team had ever compiled such a large set for its fans.
Larson, who buys and sells Twins bobbleheads, is gathering full 1965 sets for two customers.
"For the most part, to be honest, they don't sell that much," Larson said. "For the price of the most common of the 1965 guys, you could buy four Johan Santana bobbleheads."
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Killebrew bobbleheads found in the 1965 set have a suggested retail price of $350 according to a list Larson received. Others in the set, and their peak selling price: Tony Oliva and Bob Allison, $325; Jim "Mudcat" Grant and Jim Kaat, $295, and Jim Perry, Camilo Pasqual, Earl Battey, Frank Quilici and Zoilo Versalles, $250.
Those prices have dropped considerably and many from the set are now selling for $20 to $30, according to Hughes.
The interest peaked in the early part of the decade and has since leveled off, even though a bobblehead release is still an event.
Because of Ebay and other Internet sites, others are going to the games and quickly selling the bobblehead to the highest bidder.
Hughes however, said his choice to sell the five bobbleheads on Ebay will be a one-time thing.
"A lot of people that go to the games, most of them sell it," Hughes said. "We do it for the collecting."
Readers can reach Forum sports writer Dustin Monke at (701) 241-5549
