Donating Your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

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

Thomas baby-boomers loved collecting stuff.  The craze today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative passes where do you go with their Stamps and Coins, Books or Pooh Bear items?

Selling Pooh Bear Collectibles

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up attractive listing descriptions, locating 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.  Grandma 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 plenty of time.

Donate Pooh Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Thomas 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 Mom 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 Bear Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Collection. 

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 Thomas  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 donated items along with mine.  I consider their collectibles 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie or jacket but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays entact and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Thomas to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com