The third series of the over-sized, "Phanatic of the Month" bobble heads is in full swing. Maybe you're aware, maybe you're not...

This third edition has successfully evolved the series from the themes of the past few years, finding fresh poses that have kept it interesting for collectors. So far we have seen Phoebe caring for an infant Phanatic, a weight-lifting Phanatic and tomorrow (10/1/16) the latest bobble will be released with a design celebrating the Phillies 1980 World Series championship.

Although the bobbles have been well received by the hard-core collectors, their hefty $75 price tag (a $25 increase over the 2nd Series) has kept them from crossing over as a must-buy for the casual fans. On a recent visit to the Citizens Bank Park Majestic Store I saw the evidence of this failure: a large inventory of previous month's bobbles stacked against the wall. I was surprised Merchandising Director Scott Brandreth put himself in this position again. After all, he cited the increased production run from 100 to 1,000 each month as the key contributor to buyer apathy - the scarcity could no longer command the premium price tag...eventually leading the team to sell remaining inventory for as low as $10 apiece. Yet, here it is - 150 bobbles each month at an even higher retail price.

I really appreciate the series, and am pulling for it to be successful. I know it has to be profitable to continue in the coming years. But, $75 is too much for me to handle, so I'll sit on the sidelines until they start getting serious about moving inventory...

Update: The third series has a production run of 150, not the previously stated 1,000. Also, I received some additional information related to pricing. The $25 increase was to bring the Phillies into alignment with other team's mascot series bobble heads. Evidently they were "grandfathered" in at $50 for Series 2.