Donating Your Mom’s Pooh Collection

It seems like the art of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Whispering Pines place and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Vinyl Records or a Pooh collection.

Whispering Pines baby-boomers were obsessed collecting stuff.  The tendency these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Hummels, Cookie Jars or Pooh Bear collection?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

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, figuring out appealing 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 $50 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 Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Whispering Pines 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 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 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 take Pooh Bear Collection. 

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 Whispering Pines  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 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 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 stuffie or pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Items 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 Whispering Pines to WI. 

If you have collectibles of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to call me and we can coordinate adding your Mother’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com