Donating Your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

It seems like the art of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Hartstown home and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Vinyl Records or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Hartstown 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 family member dies what do you do with their Hummels, Cookie Jars or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collectibles online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up attractive listing descriptions, figuring out 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.  Grandma may have paid $100 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 Winnie the Pooh Collection

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

You could donate any plush to a Hartstown children’s place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandma 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 Bear Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Winnie the Pooh Items. 

My answer is absolutely!  I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”. 

If I am talking to the Hartstown  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 collection as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Pooh Bear 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 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie or jewelry 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 entact and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Hartstown to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com