Donating Your Mother’s Pooh Items

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Ensley house and not find Hummels, Trading Cards or a Pooh collection.

Ensley baby-boomers were obsessed collecting things.  The craze these days 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 Salt and Pepper Shakers, Paper Weights or Pooh collection?

Selling Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Collectibles online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing appealing 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.  Great Aunt 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 plenty of time.

Donate Pooh Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Ensley kids 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 Great Aunt’s Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept 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 Ensley  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Pooh Bear 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 family members.  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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a stuffed animal or jewelry 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 Ensley to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com