Banished John Wilkes Booth bobblehead a solid seller, maker says
A bobblehead doll of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, complete with handgun, has been taken off the shelves of the gift shop at the Gettysburg National Military Park.
The visitors center at the park, which is overseen by the National Parks Service, pulled the head-springy doll after being contacted by a reporter at the Evening Sun newspaper in Hanover, Pa., as The Times and other news outlets have reported.
Still, the Booth doll is apparently a strong seller, according to the Bobblehead company, which produces the item. The company sells the 7-inch-tall doll complete with a box that, “resembles the inside of Ford’s Theater, where Lincoln was assassinated.” Company sales manager Matt Powers tells the Associated Press that the dolls have been selling well.
Other selling points of the doll, as listed on the Bobblehead site for $19.95, include, “Only one on the market!” and “Booth is holding gun he killed Lincoln with in his hand.”
However enticing that may sound, the dolls became a cause for concern, said Dru Anne Neil, a spokeswoman for the Gettysburg Foundation, which runs the park visitors center and museum.
Still, Powers says, “there’s a market there” for the assassin bobblehead. “We like to let the customer decide if it’s a good item or not.”
The Kansas City, Mo., company offers dozens of bobblehead figures, including the presidents (Lincoln is included), sports heroes and musicians.
Currently featured on the site are a “limited edition” doll of the late poet Charles Bukowski and a Sarah Palin doll holding a hunting rifle.
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