Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Collectibles

It seems like the art of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Aurora house and not find Hummels, Books or a Pooh Bear collection.

Aurora baby-boomers were obsessed collecting stuff.  The tendency today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector family member dies what do you do with their Art, Trading Cards or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Collectibles online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing attractive 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.  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 significant amount of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Collection

You can give it to a place like a Aurora Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandmother’s cherished items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Aurora kids 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 Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection 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 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 Aurora  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 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 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 items.  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 entact and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Aurora to WI. 

If you have a collection of Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Mother’s Pooh Collection to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com