It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Tatitlek place and not find Stamps and Coins, Cookie Jars or a Winnie the Pooh collection.
Tatitlek baby-boomers took seriously collecting stuff. The tendency today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector family member passes what do you do with their Comic Books, Cookie Jars or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?
You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating attractive listing descriptions, figuring out postage, packaging materials and weighing each item, answering question messages from potential buyers, dealing with returns on damaged items, etc.
Also, figuring out pricing can be challenging. Mother may have paid $90 for an item but the online going rate is only $2.79. You need to ask yourself the question “is my time worth just a few dollars”? Online selling can take a significant amount of time.
You can give it to a place like a Tatitlek Salvation Army. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s adored items being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Tatitlek children’s place. However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer. Plus, your Mom really took care of the plush and displayed them. Some people have a hard time with a plush collectible becoming a plush child toy.
Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear Collection.
My answer is absolutely! I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”.
If I am talking to the Tatitlek collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection. Their items becomes part of history vs. being sold for a buck at a rummage sale. I let them know I will showcase their donated items along with mine. I consider their items as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Pooh Bear Collectibles I think it makes people feel better which I am happy for. Letting go of “things” can be hard for a collector and owners and even sometimes for relatives. As much as we don’t want to be labeled as “materialistic” – things we buy and collect can have sentimental attachments and it’s those feelings that we are attached to probably more than the items. People remember where they were when they received an item, who they were with or even where in their life cycle they were. They don’t want those memories to vanish with the collectibles. You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or poster but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays grouped and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Tatitlek to Wisconsin.
If you have collectibles of Pooh Bear items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Winnie the Pooh Collection to history and the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633