Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Collection

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become an activity of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Shanagolden house and not find Art, Cookie Jars or a Pooh Bear collection.

Shanagolden baby-boomers took seriously collecting things.  The craze today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector relative dies what do you do with their Comic Books, Paper Weights or Pooh items?

Selling Pooh Bear Collection

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

Donate Winnie the Pooh Collection

You can give it to a place like a Shanagolden Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s much-loved collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Shanagolden kids place.  However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandmother 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 Collectibles 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 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 Shanagolden  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their collection 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 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 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a mug or figurine 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 Shanagolden to Wisconsin. 

If you have a collection of Pooh items to donate, feel free to message me and we can coordinate adding your Grandmother’s Pooh Bear Collectibles to history and the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com