It seems like the art of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Rush Colonia home and not find Art, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.
Rush Colonia baby-boomers loved collecting things. The inclination these days is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to scale back or sadly when a collector family member dies what do you do with their Stamps and Coins, Books or Pooh collectibles?
You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collectibles online. Some of the problems you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing inviting 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. Mother may have paid $70 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 plenty of time.
You can give it to a place like a Rush Colonia Goodwill. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s treasured collection being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Rush Colonia 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 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 contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Winnie the Pooh Collectibles.
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 Rush Colonia 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 collection along with mine. I consider their collection as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Winnie the Pooh Collectibles 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 stuffie or jewelry but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Items 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 Rush Colonia to Wisconsin.
If you have a collection of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Pooh Bear Collection to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633