Donating Your Grandmother’s Pooh Bear Collection

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Williams Bay home and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Paper Weights or a Pooh collection.

Williams Bay baby-boomers took seriously collecting stuff.  The inclination today is to be a minimalist.

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

Selling Pooh Bear Collection

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collectibles online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating 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.  Grandmother may have paid $40 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 Collection

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

You could donate any plush to a Williams Bay kids 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 Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Winnie the Pooh Items. 

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 Williams Bay  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 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 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or statue but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com