Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Whale Pass house and not find Art, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.

Whale Pass baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting items.  The tendency today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member dies what do you do with their Precious Moments, Paper Weights or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Collectibles online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating inviting listing descriptions, locating postage, packaging materials and weighing each item, answering question messages from potential buyers, dealing with returns on damaged items, etc. 

Also, figuring out pricing can be challenging.  Grandmother may have paid $30 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 Whale Pass thrift store.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’s treasured collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Whale Pass 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 Grandmother’s 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 take Pooh Bear Collection. 

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 Whale Pass  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their collection 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or book but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

If you have collectibles of Pooh Bear items to donate, feel free to contact me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collection to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com