Donating Your Grandma’s Pooh Bear 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 walk into someone’s Five Points South house and not find Comic Books, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.

Five Points South baby-boomers loved collecting items.  The trend these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member passes what do you do with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Trading Cards or Pooh items?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online.  Some of the difficulties 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, dealing with 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 Bear Items

You can give it to a place like a Five Points South 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 Five Points South 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 Great Aunt 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 Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Winnie the Pooh Collectibles. 

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 Five Points South  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 collectibles 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 mug or statue 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 collectibles when traveling from Five Points South to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com