It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of the past. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Lincoln County residence and not find Art, Snowglobes or a Pooh collection.
Lincoln County baby-boomers took seriously collecting things. The inclination today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative dies what do you do with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Trading Cards or Pooh items?
You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collection online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing appealing 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. Mom may have paid $100 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.
You can give it to a place like a Lincoln County Goodwill. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’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 Lincoln 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 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.
Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear 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 Lincoln County 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 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 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 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 pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Bear Items 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 Lincoln County to WI.
If you have collectibles of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to email me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Winnie the Pooh Collection to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633
Crab Orchard | Hustonville | Stanford |