StarBulletin.com

Obama bobble heads make wiggle wacky-woo


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POSTED: Sunday, April 04, 2010

A Kailua-based company is spreading Obama aloha around the nation, if not the world, via its President Barack Obama Aloha Bobble Heads and dashboard dolls.

Collectible bobble-head and other figurines in the likeness of the commander in chief wearing a suit, or even a superhero outfit, are all over the Internet and cost from 99 cents to around $80 for “;talking”; versions.

To the best of Jerome Coudrier's knowledge, his are the only ones in the world that are sold by a Hawaii-based company and feature the Hawaii-born president flashing a shaka sign and wearing local-kine apparel such as an aloha shirt and shorts, board shorts and leis or some combination thereof. Oh, there's one with a generic buttoned shirt and cargo shorts, but that one's rockin' a lei, slippahs and a red, white and blue ukulele.

Coudrier started selling the presidential dolls shortly after Obama was elected, via his retail e-commerce site Tikimaster.com and his wholesale site Sourcetropical.com, but they are also available around the islands at Don Quijote, Walmart and other stores.

Just so there are no “;birther”; issues with these figurines, they are “;born”; in China, he said. It would be possible to get the Obama-ware made in Hawaii or the mainland, “;but not for the price,”; he said.

The company's 6-inch Obama bobble head with aloha shirt, shorts, slippers and lei is $16.90. Dashboard dolls that wiggle at the waist come in two styles in two sizes. The 6-inch Obama with surfboard is $10.90; the 6-inch Obama with ukulele is $9.90; and the 4-inch version of each is $7.90.

Ukulele versions are the best sellers, he said.

The online operations' parent company, Kamakani Enterprises Inc., has about 12,000 square feet of warehouse space in Kailua, but Obama-ware doesn't occupy it all.

“;Tikimaster has such a huge array of products, but people usually come to (us) for the woodcarvings,”; he said. If you're thinking tiki kitsch, you're on the right track, but higher-end items include hula sculptures. Another line sure to prove popular, especially given a certain film that's in town, is the pirate-related merchandise.

Coudrier started his e-commerce operation via eBay in 2000, “;but I started getting serious about it five years ago,”; he said. In 2008 he was rewarded for his efforts with a Retail Merchants of Hawaii award as E-Commerce Retail Business of the Year.