Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Seaton home and not find Precious Moments, Trading Cards or a Pooh Bear collection.

Seaton baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting items.  The inclination today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector family member passes where do you go with their Stamps and Coins, Trading Cards or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Pooh Bear Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out inviting listing descriptions, figuring out 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 $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 plenty of time.

Donate Pooh Items

You can give it to a place like a Seaton Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s adored collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Seaton children’s place.  However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Great Aunt 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 Great Aunt’s Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Collectibles. 

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 Seaton  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their collectibles 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 collectibles 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a mug or pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Items 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 collectibles when traveling from Seaton to Wisconsin. 

If you have collectibles of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to 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