Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Items

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Rio Hondo residence and not find Precious Moments, Trading Cards or a Pooh collection.

Rio Hondo baby-boomers took seriously collecting things.  The tendency today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector family member dies where do you go with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Vinyl Records or Winnie the Pooh collection?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out attractive listing descriptions, figuring out postage, packaging materials and weighing each item, answering question messages from potential buyers, handling returns on damaged items, etc. 

Also, figuring out pricing can be challenging.  Mother may have paid $50 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 lot of time.

Donate Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Rio Hondo kids place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Great Aunt 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 Mother’s Pooh Bear Items 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 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 Rio Hondo  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 collection 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 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a mug or statue 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 items when traveling from Rio Hondo to Wisconsin. 

If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to message me and we can coordinate adding your Mother’s Winnie the Pooh Collection to history and the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com