It seems like the love of collecting may have become a memory of yesterday. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Lawn home and not find Hummels, Vinyl Records or a Pooh Bear collection.
Lawn baby-boomers loved collecting stuff. The trend today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector relative dies where do you go with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Books or Pooh Bear collection?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online. Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up appealing 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. Grandma may have paid $90 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 Lawn Goodwill. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandma’s cherished items being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Lawn kids 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.
Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take 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 Lawn 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 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 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 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 items. You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or statue but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Lawn to WI.
If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to call me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Pooh Items to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633