It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Pine Grove home and not find Stamps and Coins, Cookie Jars or a Pooh Bear collection.
Pine Grove baby-boomers were obsessed collecting things. The tendency these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative passes where do you go with their Comic Books, Trading Cards or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?
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, creating attractive listing descriptions, figuring out 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. Mother may have paid $60 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.
You can give it to a place like a Pine Grove Salvation Army. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s beloved items being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Pine Grove 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 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.
Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Winnie the Pooh Collectibles.
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 Pine Grove 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 collectibles. You can put a price tag on a plush or poster but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays entact and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Pine Grove to Wisconsin.
If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to email me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Pooh Bear Items to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633