Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Items

It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Lake Village residence and not find Stamps and Coins, Cookie Jars or a Pooh Bear collection.

Lake Village baby-boomers loved collecting things.  The craze these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member dies what do you do with their Art, Trading Cards or Winnie the Pooh items?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing inviting 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.  Great Aunt 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 Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Lake Village 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 Grandmother 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 Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Winnie the Pooh Collection. 

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 Lake Village  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 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 toy but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Lake Village to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com