Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Collection

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s El Paso County home and not find Comic Books, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.

 

El Paso County baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The trend today is to be a minimalist.

 

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Stamps and Coins, Trading Cards or Pooh collectibles?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

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, figuring out attractive 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 Pooh Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a El Paso County Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’s beloved items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

 

You could donate any plush to a El Paso County children’s place.  However, many places only accept 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 Items 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 El Paso County  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 items along with mine.  I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.

 

When someone donates Pooh Bear 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a stuffed animal or statue but you can’t put a value on happiness.

 

By donating Winnie the Pooh 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 collection when traveling from El Paso County 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 Grandma’s Winnie the Pooh Items to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.

 

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com