It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday. It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Sharon house and not find Art, Paper Weights or a Pooh collection.
Sharon baby-boomers were obsessed collecting stuff. The inclination today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member dies where do you go with their Comic Books, Paper Weights or Winnie the Pooh collection?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online. Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing inviting 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. Grandmother may have paid $100 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.
You can give it to a place like a Sharon Salvation Army. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandma’s treasured collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Sharon 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.
Over the years I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take 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 Sharon 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 donated collection along with mine. I consider their items as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Winnie the 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 collectibles. You can put a price tag on a stuffie or jewelry but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays entact and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Sharon to WI.
If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Pooh Items to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633