Donating Your Mom’s Pooh Items

It seems like the love of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Dillingham residence and not find Hummels, Paper Weights or a Pooh Bear collection.

Dillingham baby-boomers were obsessed collecting items.  The trend today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative passes where do you go with their Comic Books, Trading Cards or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Winnie the Pooh 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, 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 plenty of time.

Donate Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a Dillingham Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s much-loved collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Dillingham 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 Mother 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

Many times 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 with great excitement!  I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”. 

If I am talking to the Dillingham  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 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a mug 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 grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Dillingham to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com