It seems like the love of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Harrisburg place and not find Stamps and Coins, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.
Harrisburg baby-boomers loved collecting items. The movement these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member passes away what do you do with their Hummels, Vinyl Records or Pooh items?
You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating attractive 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 $60 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 Harrisburg thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s cherished collection being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Harrisburg 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 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.
Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear 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 Harrisburg collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection. Their collectibles 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 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 purchased 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 mug or statue 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 owner wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Harrisburg to Wisconsin.
If you have a collection of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Pooh Collectibles to history and the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633