It seems like the art of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Haleyville house and not find Stamps and Coins, Paper Weights or a Pooh collection.
Haleyville baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff. The tendency today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector relative passes away where do you go with their Stamps and Coins, Paper Weights or Pooh Bear items?
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 attractive 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. Great Aunt 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 plenty of time.
You can give it to a place like a Haleyville Salvation Army. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s well cared-for collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Haleyville 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 Great Aunt really took care of the plush and displayed them. Some people have a hard time with a plush collectible becoming a plush child toy.
Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Collectibles.
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 Haleyville 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 items 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 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 plush or figurine but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays entact and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Haleyville to WI.
If you have a collection of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to message me and we can coordinate adding your Mother’s Winnie the Pooh Items to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633