Donating Your Mother’s Pooh Items

It seems like the art of collecting may have become a memory of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Mill Valley residence and not find Precious Moments, Trading Cards or a Pooh Bear collection.

Mill Valley baby-boomers took seriously collecting items.  The tendency these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector relative dies what do you do with their Precious Moments, Books or Pooh Bear items?

Selling Pooh Bear Items

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up inviting 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.  Grandma may have paid $60 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 plenty of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Collection

You can give it to a place like a Mill Valley Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s beloved collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Mill Valley children’s place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Great Aunt really took care of the plush and displayed them.  Some people have a hard time with a plush collectible becoming a plush child toy. 

Donate Your Grandmother’s Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Collection. 

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 Mill Valley  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their collectibles 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 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a plush or figurine but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Mill Valley to Wisconsin. 

If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Items to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com