Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Longwood house and not find Precious Moments, Paper Weights or a Pooh Bear collection.

Longwood baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The inclination these days 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, Vinyl Records or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Collection

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

Donate Pooh Bear Collection

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

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

Many times I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear Collection. 

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 Longwood  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 Winnie the 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 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a stuffed animal or toy but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Longwood to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com