It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by. It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Wanderoos home and not find Art, Vinyl Records or a Pooh collection.
Wanderoos baby-boomers took seriously collecting stuff. The movement today is to be a minimalist.
So when you’re ready to downscale or sadly when a collector relative dies where do you go with their Stamps and Coins, Vinyl Records or Pooh Bear collection?
You could try to sell the Winnie the Pooh Collectibles online. Some of the problems 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, handling returns on damaged items, etc.
Also, figuring out pricing can be challenging. Great Aunt may have paid $90 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 lot of time.
You can give it to a place like a Wanderoos Salvation Army. They will take it. However, some people struggle with the thought of their Mom’s adored collection being separated and sold for .99 cents. The plush could become a dog toy.
You could donate any plush to a Wanderoos kids place. However, many places only want 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.
Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take Pooh Items.
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 Wanderoos 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 collection along with mine. I consider their items as THEIR collection in my database.
When someone donates Winnie the 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 mug or jacket 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 relative wants, they can even visit their collection when traveling from Wanderoos to Wisconsin.
If you have collectibles of Pooh items to donate, feel free to reach out to me and we can coordinate adding your Mom’s Pooh Bear Items to history and the Winnie the Pooh Museum.
Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633