It seems like the art of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Gentilly Terrace place and not find Comic Books, Paper Weights or a Pooh Bear collection.
Gentilly Terrace baby-boomers were obsessed collecting items. The craze these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector relative passes away where do you go with their Precious Moments, Paper Weights or Winnie the Pooh collection?
You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collectibles online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out attractive 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. Great Aunt 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.
You can give it to a place like a Gentilly Terrace thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’s adored items being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Gentilly Terrace kids place. However, many places only accept 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.
Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Collectibles.
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 Gentilly Terrace 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 donation of collectibles along with mine. I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Pooh Bear 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 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 stuffie or jacket but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Bear Items 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 collection when traveling from Gentilly Terrace to Wisconsin.
If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to message me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to history and the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633