Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Collection

It seems like the interest of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Esdaile house and not find Precious Moments, Snowglobes or a Winnie the Pooh collection.

Esdaile baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting stuff.  The tendency today is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector relative passes what do you do with their Comic Books, Trading Cards or Pooh items?

Selling Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collection online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, figuring out enticing 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.  Mom 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 Items

You can give it to a place like a Esdaile Salvation Army.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s well cared-for items being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Esdaile 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 Grandmother’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 Winnie the 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 Esdaile  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 items 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 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 collectibles.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie or pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com