Donating Your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Bergs Mill house and not find Hummels, Snowglobes or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

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

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector family member dies what do you do with their Hummels, Paper Weights or Pooh Bear items?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out appealing 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 $80 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 Winnie the Pooh Collection

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

You could donate any plush to a Bergs Mill kids place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandmother 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 Mom’s Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh 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 Bergs Mill  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 donated collection along with mine.  I consider their collectibles 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie or toy 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 Bergs Mill to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com