Donating Your Grandmother’s Pooh Bear Collection

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 Oakbrook Terrace home and not find Comic Books, Books or a Pooh Bear collection.

Oakbrook Terrace baby-boomers were obsessed collecting things.  The tendency these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector relative passes where do you go with their Art, Cookie Jars or Pooh Bear collection?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out inviting 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.  Grandma 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 lot of time.

Donate Pooh Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a Oakbrook Terrace Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s cherished collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Oakbrook Terrace 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 Bear 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 take Pooh 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 Oakbrook Terrace  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 donated collection along with mine.  I consider their collection 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 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a mug or pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear 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 items when traveling from Oakbrook Terrace to WI. 

If you have collectibles of 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