Donating Your Grandmother’s Pooh Items

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Lake in the Hills home and not find Hummels, Snowglobes or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Lake in the Hills baby-boomers loved collecting items.  The inclination these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member dies where do you go with their Art, Cookie Jars or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Bear Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing attractive 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 $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 plenty of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Items

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

You could donate any plush to a Lake in the Hills 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 Bear Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Winnie the Pooh Collection. 

My answer is yes!  I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”. 

If I am talking to the Lake in the Hills  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their collectibles 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 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 stuffed animal or toy but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear 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 Lake in the Hills to Wisconsin. 

If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to call me and we can coordinate adding your Mother’s Pooh Bear Items to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com