Donating Your Mother’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Gettysburg place and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Cookie Jars or a Pooh Bear collection.

Gettysburg baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The movement today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector relative passes where do you go with their Art, Paper Weights or Pooh items?

Selling Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up appealing 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.  Mom may have paid $30 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 Items

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

You could donate any plush to a Gettysburg 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 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. 

Donate Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection 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 Winnie the Pooh Items. 

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 Gettysburg  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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie or book but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Winnie the Pooh Collectibles 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 Gettysburg to WI. 

If you have collectibles of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to contact me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Pooh Items to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com