Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Items

It seems like the art of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Ellis County house and not find Stamps and Coins, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.

 

Ellis County baby-boomers loved collecting items.  The movement today is to be a minimalist.

 

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Cookie Jars or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Bear Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out inviting 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.  Mother may have paid $50 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 Items

You can give it to a place like a Ellis County thrift store.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s cherished collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

 

You could donate any plush to a Ellis County kids place.  However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Mother 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 Mom’s Winnie the 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 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 Ellis County  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their collection 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 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 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 plush or jacket but you can’t put a value on happiness.

 

By donating Pooh Bear Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Ellis County to Wisconsin. 

 

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

 

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com