Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Items

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Deshler house and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.

Deshler baby-boomers loved collecting things.  The inclination these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector relative passes where do you go with their Art, Cookie Jars or Pooh collection?

Selling Pooh Bear Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up inviting 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.  Mother may have paid $70 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.

Donate Pooh Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a Deshler Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s treasured collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Deshler kids place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Mother 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 Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Items. 

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 Deshler  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 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 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 mug or figurine but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays entact and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Deshler to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com