Donating Your Grandma’s Winnie the Pooh Items

It seems like the art of collecting may have become a memory of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Orient residence and not find Stamps and Coins, Snowglobes or a Pooh collection.

Orient baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The movement 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 Hummels, Vinyl Records or Pooh Bear collection?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Collection

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, 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 $90 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 Items

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

You could donate any plush to a Orient 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 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 Mother’s Winnie the Pooh Items 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 Bear Collection. 

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

If I am talking to the Orient  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 collection along with mine.  I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Pooh Bear 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 mug or pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com