Donating Your Mother’s Winnie the Pooh Items

It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Island County residence and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Paper Weights or a Pooh collection.

 

Island County baby-boomers loved collecting things.  The trend these days is to be a minimalist.

 

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector family member passes away what do you do with their Precious Moments, Vinyl Records or Winnie the Pooh collection?

Selling Pooh Bear Items

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing 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.  Great Aunt may have paid $40 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 Collection

You can give it to a place like a Island County Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandma’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 Island County children’s place.  However, many places only want 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 Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear 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 Bear Items. 

 

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 Island 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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.

 

When someone donates Winnie the Pooh 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a plush or statue but you can’t put a value on happiness.

 

By donating Pooh Collectibles 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 Island 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