Donating Your Mother’s Pooh Items

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 Apple River place and not find Comic Books, Cookie Jars or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Apple River baby-boomers loved collecting stuff.  The craze today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative dies what do you do with their Comic Books, Paper Weights or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out attractive listing descriptions, locating postage, packaging materials and weighing each item, answering question messages from potential buyers, dealing with returns on damaged items, etc. 

Also, figuring out pricing can be challenging.  Mother may have paid $70 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 Bear Items

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

You could donate any plush to a Apple River kids place.  However, many places only accept 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 Bear Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Items. 

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 Apple River  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their collectibles 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 toy 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 Apple River to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com