It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Scribner house and not find Comic Books, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.
Scribner baby-boomers were obsessed collecting things. The craze these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector family member passes where do you go with their Art, Cookie Jars or Pooh Bear collectibles?
You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collectibles online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out appealing listing descriptions, figuring out 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. Grandmother may have paid $80 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 Scribner Salvation Army. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’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 Scribner kids place. However, many places only accept 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 approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Collectibles.
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 Scribner 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 items 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 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 plush or toy 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 together and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Scribner to Wisconsin.
If you have a collection of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to call me and we can coordinate adding your Grandmother’s Pooh Bear Collection to history and the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633