Donating Your Mom’s Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

It seems like the pastime of collecting may have become an activity of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t go into someone’s Hannibal home and not find Stamps and Coins, Cookie Jars or a Pooh collection.

Hannibal baby-boomers were obsessed collecting items.  The craze these days is to be a minimalist.

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

Selling Winnie the Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Collection online.  Some of the hurdles you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing appealing 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.  Grandmother 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 plenty of time.

Donate Winnie the Pooh Collectibles

You can give it to a place like a Hannibal thrift store.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s well cared-for collection being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Hannibal kids place.  However, many places only accept items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Great Aunt 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 Pooh Items 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 take Winnie the 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 Hannibal  collector and owner I let them know which numbers their items will be in the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection.  Their items 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 collectibles 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 collection.  You can put a price tag on a mug or book but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Winnie the Pooh 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 Hannibal to WI. 

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com