Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of the past.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Oneida County residence and not find Hummels, Paper Weights or a Pooh Bear collection.

 

Oneida County baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The tendency these days is to be a minimalist.

 

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member passes away where do you go with their Comic Books, Cookie Jars or Pooh Bear collectibles?

Selling Pooh Bear Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Items online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, creating attractive 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 $70 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 Pooh Collectibles

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

 

You could donate any plush to a Oneida County kids 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. 

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

Many times I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Winnie the Pooh Collection. 

 

My answer is absolutely!  I am always honored and humbled to – in my words – “to take care of their collection”. 

 

If I am talking to the Oneida County  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 items as THEIR collection in my database.

 

When someone donates Winnie the 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 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie 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 together and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their collectibles when traveling from Oneida County to Wisconsin. 

 

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

 

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com