It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of the past. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Gentilly residence and not find Art, Cookie Jars or a Winnie the Pooh collection.
Gentilly baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff. The craze today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member passes where do you go with their Stamps and Coins, Paper Weights or Pooh Bear collection?
You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating appealing 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. Grandmother 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 lot of time.
You can give it to a place like a Gentilly thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’s adored collection being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Gentilly 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 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.
Many times I have been emailed 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 Gentilly 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 collection 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 book but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Winnie the Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Gentilly to Wisconsin.
If you have a collection of Pooh items to donate, feel free to email me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Pooh Collectibles to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633