It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Cortland place and not find Precious Moments, Snowglobes or a Pooh collection.
Cortland baby-boomers loved collecting things. The tendency today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member dies where do you go with their Art, Trading Cards or Winnie the Pooh collection?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online. Some of the issues 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. Great Aunt 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 Cortland Goodwill. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s beloved collection being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Cortland kids 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.
Over the years I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear Collection.
My answer is yes! I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”.
If I am talking to the Cortland collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection. Their collectibles 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 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 items. You can put a price tag on a stuffed animal 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 entact and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Cortland to Wisconsin.
If you have a collection of Pooh items to donate, feel free to contact me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Pooh Items to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633