Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection

It seems like the love of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Rancho Chico place and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Cookie Jars or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Rancho Chico baby-boomers took seriously collecting stuff.  The tendency today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to cut back or sadly when a collector relative dies what do you do with their Stamps and Coins, Cookie Jars or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Items online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out enticing 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.  Grandmother 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 plenty of time.

Donate Pooh Bear Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Rancho Chico 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 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 Grandmother’s Pooh Bear Collection 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 Bear Items. 

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 Rancho Chico  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 collection 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a plush or poster but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Winnie the Pooh 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 Rancho Chico 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 Items to history and the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com