Donating Your Grandmother’s Pooh Bear Items

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Oneota residence and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Books or a Pooh collection.

Oneota baby-boomers were obsessed collecting items.  The movement today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector family member dies where do you go with their Hummels, Paper Weights or Winnie the Pooh items?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing appealing 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 $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.

Donate Pooh Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a Oneota 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 Oneota 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. 

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

Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Collectibles. 

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 Oneota  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 items 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 stuffed animal or poster 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 collection when traveling from Oneota to Wisconsin. 

If you have a collection of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to contact me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com