It seems like the interest of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Minnie Fenton Colonia house and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.
Minnie Fenton Colonia baby-boomers were obsessed collecting items. The movement these days 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 Art, Vinyl Records or Pooh items?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out attractive listing descriptions, locating 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. Mom may have paid $100 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.
You can give it to a place like a Minnie Fenton Colonia thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s treasured collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Minnie Fenton Colonia 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 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.
Many times I have been emailed by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Collectibles.
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 Minnie Fenton Colonia 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 donation of collectibles 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 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 collection. You can put a price tag on a plush or jacket but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Bear Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the collector wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Minnie Fenton Colonia to Wisconsin.
If you have a collection of Pooh items to donate, feel free to email me and we can coordinate adding your Mother’s Pooh Collectibles to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633