Donating Your Grandmother’s Pooh Collection

It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Kwethluk house and not find Hummels, Vinyl Records or a Pooh collection.

Kwethluk baby-boomers took seriously collecting items.  The movement these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative dies where do you go with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Trading Cards or Pooh Bear collection?

Selling Pooh Bear Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online.  Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up 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.  Grandma may have paid $60 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 Collection

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

You could donate any plush to a Kwethluk kids place.  However, many places only accept 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 Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Winnie the Pooh Items. 

My answer is absolutely!  I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”. 

If I am talking to the Kwethluk  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 collection as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Winnie the 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a mug or jacket but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Kwethluk to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com