Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Items

It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Ironton place and not find Art, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.

Ironton baby-boomers were obsessed collecting things.  The trend today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member passes where do you go with their Precious Moments, Trading Cards or Pooh Bear collection?

Selling Pooh Bear Items

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing enticing 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 $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 a lot of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Collection

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

You could donate any plush to a Ironton 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 emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Collectibles. 

My answer is yes!  I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”. 

If I am talking to the Ironton  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 donated collection along with mine.  I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Pooh Bear 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 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or pair of socks 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 collectibles when traveling from Ironton to Wisconsin. 

If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Pooh Collection to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com