Donating Your Mother’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Farmington home and not find Stamps and Coins, Vinyl Records or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Farmington baby-boomers loved collecting things.  The movement today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector family member dies where do you go with their Hummels, Paper Weights or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Pooh Bear Collectibles

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing enticing listing descriptions, figuring out 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.  Mother 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 Farmington Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’s cherished collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Farmington kids place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandmother 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 Bear 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 take Winnie the Pooh Collection. 

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 Farmington  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 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 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or jewelry 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 relative wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Farmington to Wisconsin. 

If you have collectibles of Pooh Bear items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Pooh Collection to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com