Making your Bucco Bobblehead Worth More

For those that have went to a Pittsburgh Pirates game in the last few years, you may have been one of the lucky fans to walk into PNC Park happy even before the game started. You honestly could care less which pierogie won the 4th inning race, who batted 5th for the rival Milwaukee Brewers, and which Pirates reliever gave up 8 runs in the 7th inning to lead to a 13-5 loss. You didn't care about any of that, because you were one of the first 5,000 people to make it.

You got yourself a bobblehead doll.

But that was 3 years ago, when the bobble craze was rampant. Times have changed. It's a whole new team. Literally. They had a yard sale last year after the All-Star Break. Now you're stuck with a bobblehead doll of a player that either got traded to another team and no longer plays for the Succos, or you have one of a Buccos blue chipper at the time that has turned so bad that showing it outside of the confines would lead to mass ridicule.

Another thing to consider about these dolls is that they're collectors items. They are deemed collectible if there's a certain level of value to them. For a Kip Wells bobblehead, the example we will use in this article, you'd be better off trading it for a bowling trophy.

But fortunatly thanks to the age of the internet, online auctioning, and shows like Pimp My Ride and Extreme Makeover, the good people at TM2 Productions will show you how to get the maximum value out of your lame former Bucco Bobblehead doll.

Follow these simple tips:

1) Certain Buccos can bear a striking resemblance to former legendary Pirates players. Brian Giles can easily pass for Andy Van Slyke, and Oliver Perez easily for Roberto Clemente with some careful Photoshopping, filing and/or chiseling.

Better yet if you want to run the risk of making serious bank on this, make up a rare Pirates player using the same face, only different number and name. Anything ending in "owski" is guranteed $500 opening bid.

2) Bucco bobbleheads are worth more if they have the We Are Family era uniforms. cover the helmet and jersey with a thick layer of nacho cheese and let cool. Make sure to restrain all domesticated animals that may wish to lick your masterpiece. That's what she said. Also be careful not to make the cheese too hot, otherwise the face of the doll may become disfigured, turning your Jason Kendall into a Jim Leyland.

3) Shave off the numbers and last name on the jersey, as well as the name on the base with a file and draw in magic marker. If the base is black, resort to whiteout using a stencil.

4) Fill in any blemishes that have shown up in your work with a crayola marker that corresponds to the matching color of the area. Real counterfeits don't replace the presidents on cash money with pictures of their friends, and you shouldn't either.

So here's what my final product looked like: I chose to go the route of the rarely-known but famous Bucco from 1970s World Series team. Which one, I don't know. I'll be happy with my nacho-cheese smelling bobblehead that now rarely bobbles, ready to snap a photo, auction it off, and wait for the bids to come in.

6 days have passed and still no $500 opening bid for a "SKip Wellsenkowski" 1974 Season bobblehead doll.