Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Collectibles

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Cottonwood Shores residence and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Cookie Jars or a Pooh Bear collection.

Cottonwood Shores baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting items.  The trend today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member dies where do you go with their Stamps and Coins, Trading Cards or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up enticing 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 Pooh Bear Items

You can give it to a place like a Cottonwood Shores Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s much-loved items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Cottonwood Shores 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 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 Pooh Items. 

My answer is absolutely!  I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”. 

If I am talking to the Cottonwood Shores  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their collectibles 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 collectibles 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 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 stuffed animal or jewelry but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays entact and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Cottonwood Shores 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 Winnie the Pooh Collection to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com