University of Arizona Wildcat mascot bobbleheads released for a limited time
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released limited edition bobbleheads Friday of Wilbur the Wildcat and Wilma the Wildcat, the official mascots for the University of Arizona.
Partnering with the university earlier this year, this marks the first time the museum has been able to license the mascot duo.
The museum is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and has licensed and produced mascot bobbleheads for other major Arizona colleges this year as well, include Arizona State and Grand Canyon University.
While bobbleheads of Wilbur have been produced before, this marks the first time the company has been able to feature Wilma.
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"We’re excited to create these bobbleheads of Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat, the busiest and most popular cats in Arizona,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said in an official statement. “Wilbur and Wilma have been outstanding representatives for the University of Arizona, making these bobbleheads must-haves for fans of the Wildcats.”
According to the statement, the Wilbur bobblehead, "is wearing his customary blue flat-topped cowboy hat and a white basketball uniform with the No. 23," while the Wilma bobblehead, "is wearing her customary cardinal-colored bow and a blue cheerleading uniform." The statement also added that both mascots use the "No. 1 signal" in their design, along with “WILDCATS” displayed across the front and a backing with the Arizona logo.
The University of Arizona first debuted Wilbur the Wildcat on Nov. 7, 1959, being introduced at a football game against Texas Tech. Wilma arrived later, in 1986. The two can often be spotted at the university's various sports games.
While not initially planned, the release of the bobbleheads coincides with the Arizona Wildcats’ men’s basketball team recently being ranked #1 in the nation for the first time since 2014, holding a perfect 7-0 record for the current season, according to Sklar.
With production and manufacturing limited to 2,023 individual units overall, demand for the bobblehead pair is high, with only a limited number of Wildcat bobbleheads still available for purchase, Sklar said.
"They've exceeded our expectations in popularity," Sklar said.
However, more Wilbur and Wilma bobbleheads are scheduled for production and will become available in February of next year once the current stock runs out, Sklar added.
Customers can continue to buy bobbleheads of the Wildcat mascots as long as they remain in stock, Sklar said. Once all current units are sold out, customers can pre-order them on their website for the February release, Sklar added.
Bobbleheads of Wilbur and Wilma, along with bobbleheads of any of the museum's licensed Arizona brands, can be bought directly on their website, as well as at any of the campus' online or physical bookstores. Standing at 8" tall, the Wildcat bobblehead duo cost $35 individually and can be shipped internationally, according to Sklar.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: UA unveils limited edition wildcat bobbleheads for sale
