Donating Your Grandmother’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Bayou Vista home and not find Stamps and Coins, Books or a Pooh collection.

Bayou Vista baby-boomers loved collecting stuff.  The tendency today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Hummels, Vinyl Records or Pooh collection?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Collection

You could try to sell the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating attractive listing descriptions, locating 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.  Great Aunt may have paid $30 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 Pooh Collection

You can give it to a place like a Bayou Vista Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’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 Bayou Vista children’s 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 Mom’s Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear 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 Bayou Vista  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 items along with mine.  I consider their collectibles as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Pooh Bear 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 received 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 plush 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 grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Bayou Vista to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com