Bobbleheads Aren’t Just For Kids
You may have seen his work on television. Or, you may even have a piece or two created by Hoe Lui somewhere in your home.
by LAUREN LABELLE
If the name doesn’t ring a bell, don’t feel too guilty. His job as a manufacturer of bobblehead dolls and other novelties is behind the scenes, and the only credit he allows himself is the satisfaction of a job well done.
Lui, a local resident, is the CEO of Kloanz Inc., based in Hong Kong. Specializing in creating promotional products for a number of national, as well as smaller, organizations, Kloanz has made bobblehead replicas of famous baseball and basketball players, television characters, and even the President of the United States. Not limited to only bobbleheads, Kloanz has also provided products to commemorate special events, such as a specially-made MP3 player for the release of a limited edition DVD, or even toys designed as giveaways for fast-food chains.
When we catch up with Lui at his home-office in Tracy, we’re surrounded by hundreds of famous faces, all nodding in agreement. In-progress creations sit in pieces on his desk, while his email inbox overflows with drawings, specifications, and photos of a series of possible bobbleheads for NBC’s The Office. It’s 4 p.m. in Tracy, and he will be starting his work day in two hours. While the rest of us are sitting down to dinner and unwinding after a long day, Lui’s team in Hong Kong is just arriving at their desks due to the time difference between the countries. When his co-workers sign off for the day, Lui sleeps for a few hours, and then gets it all going again at 6 a.m. (local time) to be available for clients that have already started their day in New York.
While Lui is the man behind the sales and business side of the company, most of the art and all of the production is done by his talented Kloanz team in China. The team creates the bobbleheads by looking at photos of the person they are creating a likeness after, then taking measurements, and responding to approvals and suggestions from the clients. A figurine is then carved and tweaked into the specifications for the final product. Most of the dolls hone in on a specific feature (think tattoos or a hairstyle) or stance of the person, trying to capture their most recognizable traits. Lui shows us the difference between Kloanz works and those of the “other guys,” crediting the excellence of his products to meticulous attention to detail, and the quality materials and factories that make them. The items are produced in quantities anywhere from a couple thousand into the millions.
In his first foray into selling his own products, he has created collectors edition bobblehead dolls of President Barack Obama (whose likeness is public domain). A limited one thousand dolls will be sold from www.obamawobblers.com in several models. Lui’s first bobblehead, portraying the President in his business suit, is to be followed by a double-sided doll with one side of the doll wearing a Team USA basketball uniform and the other in his signature suit. Large busts of the President are also available on the site, and each doll or bust comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
Lui’s entrepreneurial degree from the University of Southern California combined with his fourteen years spent living in Hong Kong and his passion for sports created the perfect opportunity for Lui’s unique business. He hopes to assist others in seeing their ideas or inventions come to fruition, mocking up designs and discussing materials with them. According to Lui, he sees a possible entrepreneur in most everyone, and we can’t help but nod in agreement.
