Donating Your Mom’s Pooh Collectibles

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Bellinger house and not find Precious Moments, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.

Bellinger baby-boomers loved collecting stuff.  The inclination these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector relative dies where do you go with their Comic Books, Vinyl Records or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up enticing listing descriptions, locating 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.  Mother 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 significant amount of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Items

You can give it to a place like a Bellinger Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’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 Bellinger 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 Bear Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Collection. 

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 Bellinger  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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a mug or poster but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Bellinger to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com