It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become an activity of the past. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Pine Bluff house and not find Comic Books, Vinyl Records or a Winnie the Pooh collection.
Pine Bluff baby-boomers loved collecting stuff. The craze 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 Art, Books or Pooh items?
You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collection online. Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing enticing listing descriptions, locating 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 $70 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 Pine Bluff thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandmother’s beloved items being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Pine Bluff kids place. However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer. Plus, your Mother really took care of the plush and displayed them. Some people have a hard time with a plush collectible becoming a plush child toy.
Over the years I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Items.
My answer is yes! I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”.
If I am talking to the Pine Bluff 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 collection along with mine. I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Pooh Bear Items 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 family members. 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 purchased 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 mug or figurine 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 together and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Pine Bluff to WI.
If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Mother’s Pooh Collectibles to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633