It seems like the interest of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday. It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Oakton house and not find Stamps and Coins, Vinyl Records or a Pooh collection.
Oakton baby-boomers took seriously collecting items. The tendency today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member passes away what do you do with their Stamps and Coins, Books or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?
You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collection online. Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out appealing listing descriptions, figuring out 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 lot of time.
You can give it to a place like a Oakton thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandma’s much-loved items being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Oakton 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 Mom 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 accept Winnie the Pooh Collection.
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 Oakton 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 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 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 plush or poster but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Pooh Bear Collectibles 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 collectibles when traveling from Oakton to Wisconsin.
If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to call me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Pooh Bear Items to history and the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633