Donating Your Grandmother’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Trout Valley home and not find Hummels, Snowglobes or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Trout Valley baby-boomers took seriously 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 Hummels, Cookie Jars or Winnie the Pooh collection?

Selling Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing appealing listing descriptions, locating 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 $90 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 significant amount of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Collection

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

You could donate any plush to a Trout Valley kids 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 Grandmother’s Winnie the Pooh 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 Items. 

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 Trout Valley  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 collection 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 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a stuffed animal or book but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays entact and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Trout Valley 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 Collection to history and the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com