Donating Your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Items

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Fontana home and not find Art, Vinyl Records or a Pooh collection.

Fontana baby-boomers loved collecting stuff.  The movement today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member dies what do you do with their Hummels, Vinyl Records or Pooh Bear items?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Collectibles online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing inviting listing descriptions, figuring out 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.  Mom 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 significant amount of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Items

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

You could donate any plush to a Fontana 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 Great Aunt 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 Items 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 Winnie the Pooh Collection. 

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 Fontana  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 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 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 stuffie or book but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com