Donating Your Mom’s Pooh Bear Collection

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Saint Charles place and not find Salt and Pepper Shakers, Books or a Pooh collection.

Saint Charles baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The inclination today 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 Hummels, Trading Cards or Pooh items?

Selling Pooh Collectibles

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating enticing 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.  Grandma 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.

Donate Pooh Collection

You can give it to a place like a Saint Charles thrift store.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandma’s beloved items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Saint Charles kids place.  However, many places only accept 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. 

Donate Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Items to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Items. 

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 Saint Charles  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their items as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Pooh Bear 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 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a T-Shirt or statue but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear 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 Saint Charles to WI. 

If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Grandma’s Winnie the Pooh Collection to history and the Pooh Bear Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com