Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection

It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Hebron place and not find Precious Moments, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.

Hebron baby-boomers took seriously collecting stuff.  The movement today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Hummels, Trading Cards or Winnie the Pooh items?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out appealing 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.  Grandma may have paid $50 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 Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a Hebron Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandma’s much-loved items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Hebron kids place.  However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandmother 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

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 Hebron  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their items 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 items as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Winnie the 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 mug or statue but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com