Donating Your Mom’s Pooh Bear Collection

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Millbrook place and not find Art, Paper Weights or a Pooh Bear collection.

Millbrook baby-boomers loved collecting items.  The trend today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Stamps and Coins, Vinyl Records or Winnie the Pooh items?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online.  Some of the issues 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 $50 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.

Donate Pooh Bear Items

You can give it to a place like a Millbrook Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’s well cared-for collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Millbrook kids place.  However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Great Aunt 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 Grandma’s Pooh Items 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 Bear Items. 

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 Millbrook  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 donated collection along with mine.  I consider their collection as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Pooh Bear 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a mug 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 grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Millbrook to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com