It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Tompkinsville place and not find Comic Books, Trading Cards or a Pooh Bear collection.
Tompkinsville baby-boomers loved collecting items. The trend these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member passes away what do you do with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Paper Weights or Pooh items?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online. Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing enticing 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. Grandmother 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 significant amount of time.
You can give it to a place like a Tompkinsville Salvation Army. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandmother’s well cared-for items being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Tompkinsville 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.
Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear Items.
My answer is yes! I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”.
If I am talking to the Tompkinsville collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection. Their items 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 collection as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Pooh 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 items. You can put a price tag on a stuffie or pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Tompkinsville to WI.
If you have collectibles of Pooh Bear items to donate, feel free to call me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633