Donating Your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Riverview residence and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.

Riverview baby-boomers took seriously collecting stuff.  The tendency these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member passes what do you do with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Paper Weights or Pooh items?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Collectibles online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing 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.  Grandma 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 plenty of time.

Donate Pooh Collection

You can give it to a place like a Riverview Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandmother’s well cared-for items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Riverview 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 Grandmother’s Pooh Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear Collectibles. 

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 Riverview  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their items 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 collection 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie or poster but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com