Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh 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 go into someone’s Lyons house and not find Comic Books, Snowglobes or a Pooh collection.

Lyons baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting things.  The inclination these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative dies what do you do with their Precious Moments, Books or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

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, writing 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.  Great Aunt 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 Lyons Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s cherished collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Lyons 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 Mom 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 Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear Collectibles. 

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 Lyons  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie or figurine but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Winnie the Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Lyons to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com