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 go into someone’s Hewitt house and not find Art, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.

Hewitt baby-boomers took seriously collecting stuff.  The tendency these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector family member dies where do you go with their Art, Paper Weights or Pooh Bear collection?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Collectibles online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing 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 $60 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 Bear Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Hewitt 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 Grandma 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 Grandmother’s Pooh Collectibles 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 take Winnie the 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 Hewitt  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 donation of collectibles 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a plush or statue but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

If you have collectibles of Pooh Bear items to donate, feel free to contact me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Items to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com