Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Collection

It seems like the art of collecting may have become an activity of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Elgin home and not find Stamps and Coins, Books or a Pooh Bear collection.

Elgin baby-boomers took seriously collecting items.  The inclination these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative passes away what do you do with their Stamps and Coins, Paper Weights or Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up appealing 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.  Mom may have paid $40 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 plenty of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Collection

You can give it to a place like a Elgin Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandma’s much-loved collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Elgin 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 Winnie the Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Winnie the Pooh 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 Elgin  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their items 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 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 stuffie or jewelry but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Elgin 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 Grandmother’s Pooh Collection to history and the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com