Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Items

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Hilbert home and not find Stamps and Coins, Trading Cards or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Hilbert baby-boomers loved collecting items.  The craze these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector family member passes what do you do with their Salt and Pepper Shakers, Vinyl Records or Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Bear Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating appealing listing descriptions, locating 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.  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 Bear Collection

You can give it to a place like a Hilbert Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandmother’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 Hilbert kids place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandma 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 Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been emailed 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 Hilbert  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 donated items along with mine.  I consider their collection as THEIR collection in my database.

When someone donates Pooh 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 family members.  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 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 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 items when traveling from Hilbert to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com