Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Items

It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Caldwood Acres place and not find Comic Books, Trading Cards or a Pooh Bear collection.

Caldwood Acres baby-boomers took seriously collecting items.  The trend today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector relative passes away what do you do with their Art, Vinyl Records or Pooh Bear items?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collectibles online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out 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.  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 plenty of time.

Donate Pooh Items

You can give it to a place like a Caldwood Acres Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s treasured collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

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

Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear 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 Caldwood Acres  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their collectibles 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a mug or book but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear 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 Caldwood Acres to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com