Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the art of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Brookside residence and not find Art, Books or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Brookside baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting items.  The movement today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member passes what do you do with their Hummels, Cookie Jars or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out 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 $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 Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Brookside kids place.  However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandma 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 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 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 Brookside  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their items as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Winnie the 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 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a plush or poster but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear 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 Brookside to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com