Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the love of collecting may have become a memory of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Apple River house and not find Comic Books, Snowglobes or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Apple River baby-boomers loved collecting things.  The craze these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector family member passes away where do you go with their Stamps and Coins, Cookie Jars or Winnie the Pooh collection?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out inviting listing descriptions, locating 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.  Mother may have paid $100 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 Winnie the Pooh Items

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

You could donate any plush to a Apple River 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 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 Mom’s Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Winnie the Pooh Items. 

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 Apple River  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 donated items along with mine.  I consider their items as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Winnie the Pooh Collectibles 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie or jewelry but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Apple River to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com