It seems like the art of collecting may have become an activity of the past. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Barber County residence and not find Art, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.
Barber County baby-boomers loved collecting stuff. The movement today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member passes away where do you go with their Art, Vinyl Records or Pooh Bear items?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collectibles online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating appealing listing descriptions, figuring out 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 $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 plenty of time.
You can give it to a place like a Barber County thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandma’s much-loved items being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Barber County kids place. However, many places only accept 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.
Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Winnie the Pooh Collection.
My answer is with great excitement! I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”.
If I am talking to the Barber County 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 collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Winnie the Pooh 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 collection. You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or figurine 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 owner wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Barber County to Wisconsin.
If you have a collection of Pooh items to donate, feel free to message me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Winnie the Pooh Items to history and the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633
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