Donating Your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the art of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Ester home and not find Stamps and Coins, Books or a Pooh Bear collection.

Ester baby-boomers were obsessed collecting stuff.  The trend today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector family member dies what do you do with their Comic Books, Trading Cards or Pooh collection?

Selling Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the issues 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.  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 a significant amount of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Items

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

You could donate any plush to a Ester 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 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 Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Collection. 

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 Ester  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 collection along with mine.  I consider their collection as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates 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 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 figurine but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh 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 collection when traveling from Ester to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com