It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Muskingum County residence and not find Art, Cookie Jars or a Winnie the Pooh collection.
Muskingum County baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff. The trend these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Precious Moments, Vinyl Records or Pooh collectibles?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online. Some of the difficulties 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. Mother may have paid $90 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 Muskingum County Goodwill. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s beloved collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Muskingum County kids place. However, many places only accept 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.
Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear Collectibles.
My answer is yes! I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”.
If I am talking to the Muskingum County 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 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 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 collection. You can put a price tag on a stuffed animal or pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating 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 collection when traveling from Muskingum County to Wisconsin.
If you have a collection of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to email me and we can coordinate adding your Grandmother’s Pooh Bear Collectibles to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633
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