Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Items

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Wrightsville house and not find Stamps and Coins, Vinyl Records or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Wrightsville baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The trend these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector family member dies what do you do with their Precious Moments, Vinyl Records or Pooh collection?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out enticing 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.  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 lot of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Wrightsville 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 Grandma’s Pooh Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept 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 Wrightsville  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 items 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 family members.  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 stuffed animal or toy but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Wrightsville to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com