It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become a memory of the past. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Dellwood place and not find Precious Moments, Snowglobes or a Winnie the Pooh collection.
Dellwood baby-boomers were obsessed collecting things. The inclination today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector family member passes what do you do with their Precious Moments, Books or Pooh collection?
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, thinking up enticing 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. Grandmother may have paid $60 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 Dellwood thrift store. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s beloved collection being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Dellwood 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 contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Collectibles.
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 Dellwood 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 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 collection. You can put a price tag on a stuffie or jewelry but you can’t put a value on happiness.
By donating Winnie the 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 Dellwood to Wisconsin.
If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to contact me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collection to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633