It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Rauchtown home and not find Stamps and Coins, Paper Weights or a Pooh collection.
Rauchtown baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting things. The movement today 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 Stamps and Coins, Books or Pooh Bear collectibles?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing inviting listing descriptions, figuring out 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. Grandmother may have paid $100 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 Rauchtown Goodwill. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandmother’s adored items being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Rauchtown children’s 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.
Over the years I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Collection.
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 Rauchtown 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 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 stuffie or pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Bear 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 items when traveling from Rauchtown 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 Grandma’s Pooh Bear Collectibles to history and the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633