Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection

It seems like the love of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Hot Springs home and not find Art, Cookie Jars or a Pooh Bear collection.

Hot Springs baby-boomers loved collecting things.  The inclination today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector family member passes away what do you do with their Hummels, Trading Cards or Pooh items?

Selling Pooh Bear Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collectibles online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up 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.  Grandma 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 significant amount of time.

Donate Pooh Items

You can give it to a place like a Hot Springs Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mother’s cherished items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Hot Springs 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 Grandma 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 Grandma’s Pooh Collection to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Bear Items. 

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 Hot Springs  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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or poster 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 grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Hot Springs to Wisconsin. 

If you have a collection of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to call me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com