It seems like the love of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Woodworth residence and not find Precious Moments, Cookie Jars or a Winnie the Pooh collection.
Woodworth baby-boomers loved collecting stuff. The movement these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Comic Books, Books or Pooh collection?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online. Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up attractive 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. 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 significant amount of time.
You can give it to a place like a Woodworth thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s beloved collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Woodworth kids 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.
Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Winnie the Pooh Collectibles.
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 Woodworth 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 Winnie the Pooh Items 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 T-Shirt or toy but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Bear 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 items when traveling from Woodworth to WI.
If you have a collection of Pooh items to donate, feel free to email me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Pooh Bear Collection to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633