Donating Your Mother’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the art of collecting may have become an activity of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Lafayette home and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Cookie Jars or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Lafayette baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting items.  The craze today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector family member passes away where do you go with their Comic Books, Paper Weights or Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the hurdles 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, handling returns on damaged items, etc. 

Also, figuring out pricing can be challenging.  Grandma may have paid $90 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 Winnie the Pooh Items

You can give it to a place like a Lafayette thrift store.  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 Lafayette 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 Mother 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 Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

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

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 Lafayette  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 items.  You can put a price tag on a plush or book but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com