Donating Your Grandmother’s Pooh Bear Collection

It seems like the hobby of collecting may have become an activity of yesterday.  It used to be that you couldn’t walk into someone’s Matthews home and not find Comic Books, Snowglobes or a Pooh Bear collection.

Matthews baby-boomers really enjoyed collecting items.  The craze 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 Stamps and Coins, Trading Cards or Pooh collection?

Selling Pooh Items

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online.  Some of the issues you might face when selling online include: setting up a payment account, writing attractive 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 $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 Pooh Bear Collection

You can give it to a place like a Matthews Goodwill.  They will take it.  However, some people struggle with the thought of their Great Aunt’s adored collectibles being separated and sold for .99 cents.  The plush could become a dog toy.

You could donate any plush to a Matthews kids place.  However, many places only want 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 Great Aunt’s Pooh Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Many times I have been approached by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will take 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 Matthews  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 donation of collectibles 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 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 stuffie or pair of socks but you can’t put a value on happiness.

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

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

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com