Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the art of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s McMullen house and not find Hummels, Trading Cards or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

McMullen baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting things.  The craze these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative passes where do you go with their Precious Moments, Trading Cards or Pooh collectibles?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out inviting 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.  Grandmother may have paid $50 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 significant amount of time.

Donate Pooh Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a McMullen Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’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 McMullen 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 Grandmother 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 Pooh Bear Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Items. 

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 McMullen  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 collection 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 T-Shirt or jewelry but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays entact and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from McMullen to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com