Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Items

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Tuolumne County home and not find Hummels, Paper Weights or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

 

Tuolumne County baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting things.  The movement these days is to be a minimalist.

 

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector family member passes away where do you go with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Paper Weights or Winnie the Pooh items?

Selling Pooh Bear Collection

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

Donate Pooh Items

You can give it to a place like a Tuolumne County Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s well cared-for collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

 

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

Over the years I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Collectibles. 

 

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 Tuolumne County  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their collection 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 Bear Items 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a mug or poster but you can’t put a value on happiness.

 

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

 

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

 

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com