It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of the past. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s La Canada Flintridge home and not find Stamps and Coins, Paper Weights or a Pooh collection.
La Canada Flintridge baby-boomers loved collecting things. The tendency today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Stamps and Coins, Books or Pooh Bear collection?
You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online. Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up appealing listing descriptions, figuring out postage, packaging materials and weighing each item, answering question messages from potential buyers, handling returns on damaged items, etc.
Also, figuring out pricing can be challenging. Great Aunt may have paid $40 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 La Canada Flintridge Salvation Army. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s cherished collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a La Canada Flintridge kids 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 emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear Items.
My answer is with great excitement! I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”.
If I am talking to the La Canada Flintridge collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection. Their collection becomes part of history vs. being sold for a buck at a rummage sale. I let them know I will showcase their donation of collectibles along with mine. I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Pooh 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 T-Shirt or jacket but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Winnie the Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from La Canada Flintridge to Wisconsin.
If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633