Donating Your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Items

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Whispering Pines place and not find Art, Cookie Jars or a Pooh collection.

Whispering Pines baby-boomers took seriously collecting things.  The movement these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downsize or sadly when a collector family member passes away what do you do with their Stamps and Coins, Paper Weights or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online.  Some of the difficulties you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing appealing listing descriptions, locating 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.  Mom may have paid $80 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 Whispering Pines Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Grandmother’s cherished items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Whispering Pines children’s place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Mother 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 Grandma’s Winnie the Pooh Collection 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 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 Whispering Pines  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 donation of collectibles along with mine.  I consider their collectibles 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 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 stuffed animal or jewelry but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Winnie the Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays grouped and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the relative wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Whispering Pines to Wisconsin. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com