Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Items

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become a memory of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Croton house and not find Art, Snowglobes or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Croton baby-boomers were obsessed collecting items.  The inclination these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector relative passes away where do you go with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Vinyl Records or Pooh Bear items?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the problems 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 $70 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 Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a Croton thrift store.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s much-loved items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Croton kids place.  However, many places only accept 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 Mother’s Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Collection. 

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 Croton  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 collection as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Winnie the 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 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie 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 owner wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Croton to WI. 

If you have a collection of Pooh Bear items to donate, feel free to contact me and we can coordinate adding your Grandmother’s Pooh Collectibles to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com