Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Richmond residence and not find Precious Moments, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.

Richmond baby-boomers were obsessed collecting things.  The trend 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 Precious Moments, Cookie Jars or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Pooh Bear Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collectibles online.  Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating 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.  Mother may have paid $80 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 Richmond Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’s adored collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Richmond kids place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandma 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 Grandma’s Pooh Collectibles 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 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 Richmond  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 items along with mine.  I consider their items as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or book but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Richmond to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com