Setting the bar. (Kent Meyer Bobblehead.)

[Bikeage77]

The Kent "Ice Man" Myer bobble just finished for 380.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261014641738?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_975

 

Any of you get in there? I can't justifty spending that much, which is probably why I'll never own any of the limited giveaways (Attanasio, Bill Hall Track Suit, Ice Man). Also, I dunno why anyone would spend that much on a guy with ZERO feedback. Hopefully the winner agreed to local pickup.

[TURBO]

I was watching it, bowed out early in the bidding. I think I went as high as $200, and had I won, my wife would have left me...*nervous laugh*

[JimH5]

Not me.

 

I just won two game used bats (Cooper and Nilsson) from MEARS and spent less than that.

 

BUT, I have spent a ton of money on stuff that leaves others scratching their heads, so I'm not going to criticize people from buying what they want.

 

Bobbles just don't do it for me.

[JimH5]

Dang it!

 

I need to stop posting from my phone. I keep getting duplicate posts in these threads.

[madgrad]

This bobble is tainted for me, just like another (Helena Braun) from a few years back. Although this one wasn't made for profit like the blue Helena Braun, it may as well have been considering the way the Brewers handled it by giving a bunch to someone with so much greed...

 

I'm sure they didn't make these for one person to profit on eBay.

[TURBO]

This bobble is tainted for me, just like another (Helena Braun) from a few years back. Although this one wasn't made for profit like the blue Helena Braun, it may as well have been considering the way the Brewers handled it by giving a bunch to someone with so much greed...

 

I'm sure they didn't make these for one person to profit on eBay.

 

What is the background story on the ICEMAN?

 

What are you talking about madgrad?

[madgrad]

They gave them to him and told him to give them out to customers, friends, family...unfortunately I'm near 100% certain he's the seller on eBay. It's a damn shame.

[JimH5]

They gave them to him and told him to give them out to customers, friends, family...unfortunately I'm near 100% certain he's the seller on eBay. It's a damn shame.

 

Why is it a shame or greedy that someone is making money? The seller had something that the buyer wanted and they agreed on a price. I don't get the criticism.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

They gave them to him and told him to give them out to customers, friends, family...unfortunately I'm near 100% certain he's the seller on eBay. It's a damn shame.

 

Why is it a shame or greedy that someone is making money? The seller had something that the buyer wanted and they agreed on a price. I don't get the criticism.

 

 

From what I understand the seller here in most peoples minds is Kent. The Brewers apparantly gave a bunch of bobbleheads to give away to family, friends and customers as a thank you. It just seems tacky to be selling them on ebay instead.

[madgrad]

I get how supply and demand works, it's elementary. I just don't agree with marketing something the Brewers gave someone with expectations not to sell, but merely give away. I'm talking about the specific event surrounding this bobble, not the selling that fans do after SGA games. There's a component of greed here that I've experienced first hand and it doesn't stem from this one transaction.

[madgrad]

And yes I agree...it's tacky.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I wonder what the Brewers feel about this? People see adults getting autographs and the first thing they say is that it will be sold on ebay. Getting an $8/hour part-time job would make more money than hawking autos.

[JimH5]

I guess I should learn some more of the background before piping in with an ill-informed opinion. . .but why let that get in the way!?

 

Is Mr. Meyer a pseudo-celebrity at the stadium? I confess to never having heard about him until this thread. Was this done as some employee recognition thing or something? Is the bobble desirable because it came from the team/he's wearing a Brewers jersey?

 

Generally speaking, I don't have a problem with people profiting off their name or off their stuff.

 

If the price of the bobble were closer to $50, would he still be greedy?

 

I liken it to the autograph business. Yount charges $75-$100 at signing events, while Molitor charges $50-$65. Is Yount greedy for wanting more?

[Bikeage77]

Jim, The Ice Man got the bobbles made because he won the fan voting for most popular beer vendor in 2010. They gave out Miller Lite bottle vendors, and some, including myself thought they'd be giving out ones of the Ice Man. It was a disappointment when fans were given those tacky things.

 

Then later collectors find out they made those and were to be given away. I was happy with that, he gets to give them to valued customers, family members, and friends, but selling them is probably the last thing the Brewers wanted.

 

Part of me thinks it's their fault though. They obviously know these were gonna end up on eBay by somebody. I'd find it hard to believe the promotional team woulda thought otherwise.

 

As far as the Yount/Molitor charging, I dunno. I think people would pay whatever Molitor is charging, but I could easily see people wanting Yount more because he was the guy that spent his entire career in Milwaukee, and still makes appearances, etc.

[JimH5]

Thanks for the backstory.

 

As for what the team thinks, that wouldn't really matter to me. They're all too happy to charge ridiculous prices for food and drinks and parking, and for game used stuff in their fan shop. If one of their employees is able to make some money from his popularity, I don't have a problem with it--though again, I'm not emotionally or financially invested in bobbles.

 

How many chances is a beer vendor going to get to cash in like this?

[BrewersSuperCollector]

Thanks for the backstory.

 

As for what the team thinks, that wouldn't really matter to me. They're all too happy to charge ridiculous prices for food and drinks and parking, and for game used stuff in their fan shop. If one of their employees is able to make some money from his popularity, I don't have a problem with it--though again, I'm not emotionally or financially invested in bobbles.

 

How many chances is a beer vendor going to get to cash in like this?

 

 

Jim, Think of it like this. You have a business and give your salesman a promotional item to give away to your customers. Would you be happy if that salesman sold those items instead of giving them away? I know its not exactly the same situation, but its close.

[bobble brian]

The one thought that occurred to me after reading some of these posts (other than what an interesting topic it has become) is the strong assumption that the Iceman himself is selling this bobble in particular and these bobbles overall.

 

Another scenario to consider: What about if he honestly gave most (or all) of these bobbles away to friends and family, as he was "meant to," and then said friends and family decide to cash in and resell them without his knowledge?

 

Is it still his fault and is he still being "greedy" in this scenario?

 

You can really only directly control an item while it is in your possession. I don't think he has any control or say in what happens to the bobbles once they leave his possession.

 

And if it is friends and family members re-selling them, is that any different than what happens on eBay when a Brewers retro bobble is given away and subsequently re-sold?

 

Just thoughts to ponder.

[Hoops03]

I was holding back, but in respect to kent and the brewers I have to share the TRUE story of the kent Meyer iceman bobblehead..

 

Kent was the 2010 winner of the brewers beer vendor challenge. Initially, the brewers were going to do a bobblehead of whoever won as the 10,000 fan giveaway similar to the white sox. However, because of financial reasons the brewers chose to go with the beer bottle instead...

 

Miller lite stepped in feeling kent was owed something and funded a tailgate for kent at last years beer vendor game. Kent was given 100 bobbleheads and 100 invitations to the tailgate. What makes this bobblehead so hard to find is that virtually everyone there was either a family member or very close friend of kent. I know kent very well and was able to get one through him...

 

What's interesting, is the person who sold theres on eBay is from elkhorn, wi....which happens to be where the very iceman himself lives....

 

So there you have it folks...kent will verify the story himself so let's enjoy this bobblehead whether we have one or not as it honors a true dedicated brewer fan and beer vendor to brewer fans...

[TURBO]

The last one to sell on ebay is the only one I have ever seen on ebay. If it was Kent himself that sold it, I don't think we can say he is a regular seller on ebay if it was only one.

 

Why everyone thinks it was him selling is a little strange to me. It isn't like he has been selling them off left and right on ebay, as I said, I have only seen one!!!

 

Who is to say that it wasn't one of the 100 given out that decided to cash in?

 

I'd love to get my hands on one, but there is just no way I will shell out $400 for a bobble, just isn't realistic for me as a collector.

[Patrick425]

Some people have been asking about the story behind the "ICE MAN" and the responses have been mostly about him being voted most popular vendor. I don't really know him personally, but I'll give a little more information.

 

If you have ever been to Miller Park, especially on the 2nd level by home plate and the 1st base line, he is the vendor who is very loud and enthusiastic. He yells things like.."The Ice Man is here" and "Free shivers!" or just "Yooooooo!" He also spends his March's vending beer at Maryvale. We were at the first game and he came out and talked with people in line. I can't speak for his actions in regards to selling his own bobble head (if that's even true), but he seems like a genuinely nice guy who is enjoying his minor fame among Brewer fans.

[JimH5]

Jim, Think of it like this. You have a business and give your salesman a promotional item to give away to your customers. Would you be happy if that salesman sold those items instead of giving them away? I know its not exactly the same situation, but its close.

 

I guess the biggest difference is that the promotional item is in this guy's own image. And he's employed as a beer vendor, not as an athlete who gets a cut of merchandising.

 

To me, of all the people who are profiting from the bobblehead craze: the artist who makes it; the company who produces it; their suppiers who sell the raw materials; the shipping company who delivers it to the stadium; the Brewers organization who see a bigger turnout for SGA days; players who get licensing money through the MLBPA; people who get bobbles strictly to flip them; hobby shops; eBay and Paypal for getting their cut of the sale. . .of all of those people who make money over the market for bobbleheads, the least objectionable person to me, for someone wanting to cash in would be the guy whose own likeness is captured in the bobble.

 

Everyone else gets to make money on them, but not him? That seems weird.

[Hoops03]

Folks...called kent over my lunch break today to get the scoop....the bobble was NOT his...but his neighbors...even asked kent if he was okay with him selling it....so let's not rip on kent here

[BrewersSuperCollector]

Does Kent have any bobbles and how much would he sell one for?

[Bikeage77]

What BSC said.

 

I was more or less surprised that Kent would be linked to selling them on his own. It seemed out of his character to do something like that. I'm glad to hear it wasn't him afterall. Still surprised someone would spend that much to a seller with no feedback.

[hawing]

If you have ever been to Miller Park, especially on the 2nd level by home plate and the 1st base line, he is the vendor who is very loud and enthusiastic. He yells things like.."The Ice Man is here" and "Free shivers!" or just "Yooooooo!"

Yeah, JimH5, once you've used your seats in 217 this year (my memory is that your mini-pack doesn't start until later this season), you will at least have heard the Ice Man. I semi-joke that he haunts me every time I am on the loge, even if it's just long enough to get a baked potato.