Polymer Clay Bobbleheads vs Resin Bobbleheads Craftsmanship: All You Need to Know

A bobblehead is a small figure with a big head connected to a funny body by a spring. This item is also known as a bobblehead doll, a moving head doll, a bobble, a nodder, or a wobbler.

The word "bobble" comes from the part of the head that moves back and forth. It's popular overseas, especially in North America, because it's fun, engaging, eye-catching, highly customizable, and unique. More than 10 million handmade bobbleheads are made every year as Christmas gifts.

Because they look so much alike and have bright animation-like faces, it's usually considered a souvenir for die-hard fans. Its popularity and the fact that it's known in more and more places as a joke or for business purposes.

Existence

Bobbleheads have existed for more than 150 years and have been made from many different materials. The oldest known bobbleheads are thought to have come from China and were made with a unique mix of clay and mud.

Materials

It's wild to think that some of them should have lasted for a long time anyway. In later years, many different types of materials were tried. These days, most bobbleheads are made from everyday materials like polymer clay, polyresin, and, to a lesser extent, terracotta.

Today, we're going to look at two essential types of materials that are used to make custom bobbleheads:

• Polymer Clay

Polyresin is not the best choice for making single pieces because it is expensive. Instead, polymer clay is used to make only one-piece bobbleheads.

Polymer clay is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which has nothing to do with clay. It is likely because its qualities are similar to those of solidified clay. This means that it's stress-free for artists and makers to work with.

It's easy to mix colors like clay and keeps its shape forever. It can also withstand a lot of heat, so it is often stretched out to make a structure. That being said, it can have a different detailed feature than polyresin.

However, there are some health and safety issues, so many custom bobblehead companies will only work with polyresin, even if it costs them more.

• Polyresin

Polyresin, a resin mixture, is most often used to make bobbleheads. This stuff is used to create models, dolls, and other things because it's almost impossible to break. Also, it softens when hot, so artists can stretch it to make any shape of the bobblehead.

Additionally, polyresin is suitable for fine details, so artists can add as many pretty details or embellishments to a bobblehead as they want. This material also gives the bobblehead a shine, like plastic, which makes it look new for a long time. It can also withstand a lot of wear and tear to keep going forever.

Because of these factors, polyresin is a popular choice for making bobbleheads. However, polyresin is expensive, which works best for large orders.

In simple terms, three different materials are used to make bobbleheads. The main ones are polyresin, polymer clay, and terracotta, which can only be found in Tanjore in southern India.

Polymer Clay Bobbleheads Vs. Resin Bobbleheads Craftsmanship

• Polymer Clay

When single-piece personalized bobbleheads came out, a material had to be found that could be used to make the single-pieces that people wanted at a reasonable price. Polymer clay is the material most often used in business.

The word "clay" is used to describe polymer clay, but it contains no clay products. Its name comes from the fact that it looks and feels like clay. At the same time, it is very cheap, beneficial, and easy to shape, just like any clay.

Anyone can walk into any craft shop and pick up polymer clay off the shelf. Polymer clay will be used to make one-of-a-kind handmade bobbleheads.

• Polyresin

Polyresin is a composite resin that is very easy to work with. For a long time, people have used it to make dolls, statues, and models. Because it is flexible, the finished product should be comprehensive in every part of the outline. The strength of polyresin is also very appealing.

Since polyresin is used to make these products, the results last a long time. Most of the mass-produced custom bobbleheads you see for sale or as freebies at baseball stadiums are made from this material.

Which Is Sounder?

As mentioned, polyresin is a complex, flexible material that lasts a long time but costs a lot. One piece of personalized bobbleheads made just for you could cost around $200.

You can make the same kinds of changes with polymer clay, but the quality of the building will be lower. Let us say you used clay from your local arts and crafts shop to make a sculpture. There will be some give-in initially, but it will harden after some time. Bobbleheads made from polymer clay cost around $100 each.

Also, because polymer clay forms with the finished product, its color is the color of the clay itself. This gives the finished product a more brilliant, realistic 3D look and better quality. On the other hand, those who use poly resin clay bake and shape the figures, then paint them, and that's your puppet.

What it comes down to is this: do you want a long-lasting product or one that costs less but has better quality, more real 3D images, and more value? The first one looks like a stone and isn't worth much, but the second one will give you much value even though it's as fragile as an Easter egg.