Donating Your Mother’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Pembine home and not find Stamps and Coins, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.

Pembine baby-boomers took seriously collecting things.  The trend these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative passes away what do you do with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Cookie Jars or Winnie the Pooh items?

Selling Pooh Bear Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the issues 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.  Grandma may have paid $70 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.

Donate Pooh Items

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

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

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

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 Pembine  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their items 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 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or jacket 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 grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Pembine to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com