Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Collection

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Truesdell house and not find Comic Books, Vinyl Records or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Truesdell baby-boomers were obsessed collecting stuff.  The craze these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative passes away where do you go with their Stamps and Coins, Vinyl Records or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?

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, thinking up attractive 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 $30 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 Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a Truesdell thrift store.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’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 Truesdell kids 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 Grandma’s Pooh Bear Collectibles 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 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 Truesdell  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 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 family members.  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 jacket 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 relative wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Truesdell to Wisconsin. 

If you have a collection of Pooh Bear items to donate, feel free to email me and we can coordinate adding your Grandmother’s Pooh Collectibles to history and the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com