Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Mountain Brook residence and not find Stamps and Coins, Paper Weights or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

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

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector family member passes where do you go with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Cookie Jars or Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating enticing listing descriptions, locating 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.  Mother may have paid $40 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 Collection

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

You could donate any plush to a Mountain Brook kids place.  However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandma 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 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 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 Mountain Brook  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their collectibles 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 collection 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 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a mug or toy 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 together and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Mountain Brook to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com