It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Payette County residence and not find Comic Books, Books or a Pooh collection.
Payette County baby-boomers loved collecting stuff. The tendency these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member passes what do you do with their Precious Moments, Cookie Jars or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?
You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online. Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating 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 $30 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.
You can give it to a place like a Payette County Salvation Army. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s beloved collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Payette County 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 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.
Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Collection.
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 Payette County 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 collectibles 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 received 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 pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Bear Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays entact and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Payette County to WI.
If you have collectibles of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633
Fruitland | New Plymouth | Payette |
Payette Heights |