Donating Your Mom’s Pooh Collectibles

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Menominee home and not find Precious Moments, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.

Menominee baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The movement these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative dies where do you go with their Comic Books, Trading Cards or Pooh Bear collection?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online.  Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up 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.  Grandmother 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 Menominee thrift store.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s much-loved collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Menominee 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. 

Donate Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Winnie the Pooh Collectibles. 

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 Menominee  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 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 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 stuffie or poster but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Collectibles 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 items when traveling from Menominee to WI. 

If you have a collection of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to contact me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com