It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become a memory of the past. It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Sumter County house and not find Comic Books, Cookie Jars or a Pooh Bear collection.
Sumter County baby-boomers loved collecting things. The trend these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative passes away where do you go with their Stamps and Coins, Trading Cards or Winnie the Pooh collection?
You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online. Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating appealing 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. 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 a lot of time.
You can give it to a place like a Sumter County thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandma’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 Sumter County 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.
Over the years I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Items.
My answer is with great excitement! I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”.
If I am talking to the Sumter 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 collection along with mine. I consider their items as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Pooh 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 collectibles. You can put a price tag on a plush or pair of socks 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 owner wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Sumter County to WI.
If you have collectibles of Pooh Bear items to donate, feel free to message me and we can coordinate adding your Mother’s Pooh Collectibles to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633
Bushnell | Center Hill | Coleman |
Webster | Wildwood |