How to Choose a Fathead

Finding the perfect Fathead wall graphic isn’t nearly as complicated as, say, buying an original Kandinsky. You don’t have to bid at auction, authenticate the painting or spend thousands setting up a security system. However, you still have to live with your decision. There are over 500 Fathead wall graphics, whereas there are only so many Kandinskys. Although they technically aren’t considered art, Fatheads are treasured by fans across the country and make exciting gifts. The right Fathead can transform your favorite room or, when given as a gift, can show a friend how much he matters to you. So how do you select the perfect Fathead?

Instructions

1. Before plunking down dollar one on a life-size wall graphic, define your audience: Are you buying this Fathead for yourself or as a gift? If this Fathead is for you, will it be viewed daily, as your family strolls through the living room, or will it be secreted away in your man-cave? On the other hand, if the Fathead will be given as a gift, your only audience is the recipient. Simply purchase the wall graphic you know the recipient will enjoy and let him worry about who will see it. If the Fathead is intended as a gift for a child, assume the wall graphic is for her bedroom and will only be seen by family and other kids.

2. The next important consideration is space. Where will you put the Fathead? Many people choose a sports-related Fathead like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James to go on the wall of a bedroom or office. Other people select Darth Vader, Hannah Montana or an otherwise entertainment-related Fathead for their den or media room. Ultimately, you’ll need to measure the wall before you can make a decision. The Chris Paul Fathead stands at 6’4” and can take up an entire wall. Yoda (from Star Wars) is only 3’7”. If you don’t have room for the Fathead you want, can you rearrange a few things to accommodate it? Once your space is defined, you’ll know which Fathead will fit and which will not.If you’re buying the Fathead as a gift, you’ll have to estimate. The good news is that, if the Fathead is too big for the space allotted, the gift recipient can exchange it – providing it hasn’t been taken off the backing.

3. Probably the most important thing to consider when choosing a Fathead is your passion. The Fathead company website claims their mission is “to connect fans with their passion.” Whether that passion is football, wrestling, cheerleading or even Star Wars, that’s what your wall should reflect. There is practically a Fathead for every passion on Fathead.com. If you’re a Green Bay Packers fan, chances are you’d be much happier with a life-size Brett Favre than with a Tinkerbell. Stick closely to your passion and you can never go wrong.

4. Hunting for the perfect Fathead to give? Hopefully, you know enough about the recipient to make the right call. In this situation, it’s more advisable to go with something general. For example, say the gift recipient is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan. On Fathead.com, when you click on the Cowboys, you’ll be given numerous options: Tony Romo, Emmitt Smith, Terrell Owens, Roy Williams, Tony Dorsett, Roger Staubach, a Cowboys logo and a Cowboys helmet. Unless you know for a fact that one of the players is a favorite of your recipient, go with the Cowboys logo or helmet.

5. Start on the company’s web site (www.Fathead.com), where you’ll find every category of wall graphic in the top navigation menu. Choose from Sports, Disney and Entertainment.Under “Sports,” select a league acronym: NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, WWE, NASCAR, Action or College sports. From here, you can narrow down your search even further by clicking on the teams, players, helmets (where applicable) or logos. Follow your passion to the product page. If you’re searching for a gift, put yourself in your friend’s shoes and try to choose what he would for himself.The Disney navigation menu displays Tinker Bell, several Disney Princesses and characters from Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Pirates of the Caribbean and Cars. Click on the respective movie or TV show and follow the navigation to the character you want. Children are very particular about their favorite characters. So if this is a gift, try to find out from the child’s parents which character she loves the most. With that little bit of intelligence, you can easily choose the perfect Fathead.The third and final category features Fathead’s lineup of super heroes and cartoon characters, ranging from Batman and Spider-Man to the Family Guy crew and The Simpsons. If you cannot find what you’re looking for, use the Search field at the top left to dig deeper into the site.

6. If you’re hopelessly stuck between several options for yourself, take the easy way out and buy two -- one for the media room and one for the basement. Since these wall graphics can be moved easily without losing their stick-to-it-iveness, experiment with placement until you’re happy. Still stumped over which Fathead to get as a gift? When worse has finally come to worst, you have two options, neither of which will be considered a cop-out: a Fathead Gift Card or E-Certificate. The only difference between the two is that an E-Certificate is emailed and can be used immediately, while a gift card can only be used once it arrives in the mail.The good news is that, even though the selection process can seem intimidating at times, you’ll rarely have to worry about the quality of your Fathead. ou’ll never have to rap on the Fathead or shake it to determine quality, the way you might with fresh fruit. No kicking the tires or trying it on for size. Every Fathead is quite durable and its quality is guaranteed. The most important aspect to consider when purchasing a Fathead: Will you still like it in three years? f the answer is "yes," click "add to cart" and check out!

Resources

• Fathead.com