Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Collection

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Rock Creek home and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Paper Weights or a Pooh collection.

Rock Creek baby-boomers took seriously collecting stuff.  The trend today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member dies where do you go with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Paper Weights or Winnie the Pooh collection?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out attractive 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 $100 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 lot of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Items

You can give it to a place like a Rock Creek thrift store.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandmother’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 Rock Creek 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 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 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 Winnie the Pooh Collection. 

My answer is yes!  I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”. 

If I am talking to the Rock Creek  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 collection along with mine.  I consider their collectibles 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or jacket but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Winnie the Pooh Items 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 Rock Creek to WI. 

If you have a collection of Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Pooh Bear Collectibles to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com