Call them nodders, call them bobbleheads, even call them wobblers. Whatever you call them, though, the vintage hand-painted papier-mâché and ceramic dolls depicting baseball players from the 1960s are among the most whimsical collectibles in baseball.

Nodders and bobbleheads describe any doll whose head is connected to its neck by a spring. This not-quite-solid connection allows the doll’s head to nod and wobble. These dolls have been around since the 19th century, but it wasn’t until 1960 that Major League Baseball decided to produce nodders and bobbleheads for some of its teams and players. Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Willie Mays were some of the first non-mascot nodders. As with baseball cards, Clemente nodders are highly collectible.

The first dolls, which were made by Lego in Japan, were hand-painted on papier-mâché. These first dolls were generic, depicting the same large-eyed boy in a different team unifor...m, his baseball-capped head bobbing about whenever the doll was moved. Some dolls featured team mascots—mascot dolls of the Indians, Braves, and Pirates are tough to find.