Donating Your Mom’s Pooh Collectibles

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

Bell baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The tendency today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member dies what do you do with their Hummels, Paper Weights or Winnie the Pooh items?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating enticing listing descriptions, figuring out 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.  Mom 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 Pooh Items

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

You could donate any plush to a Bell 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 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 Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Winnie the Pooh 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 Bell  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 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 collectibles when traveling from Bell 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 Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Items to history and the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com