It seems like the love of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Sedgwick house and not find Art, Vinyl Records or a Winnie the Pooh collection.
Sedgwick baby-boomers were obsessed collecting items. The inclination 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 Stamps and Coins, Paper Weights or Winnie the Pooh items?
You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online. Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, thinking up inviting 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. Mother 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 significant amount of time.
You can give it to a place like a Sedgwick Goodwill. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s cherished collection being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Sedgwick 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 Great Aunt 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 Bear Collectibles.
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 Sedgwick 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 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 collectibles. You can put a price tag on a stuffie or toy 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 grouped and the memories are still there too. In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Sedgwick to Wisconsin.
If you have collectibles of Pooh Bear items to donate, feel free to email me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Pooh Bear Items to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633