Breaking News Big Sandy

Deb Hoffmann, Guinness World Record Holder for Largest Winnie the Pooh Collection, Shatters 20K-Item Goal

Guinness World Records validates the new collection figure for Hoffmann, who has held the world record for 13 years

By: Deb Hoffmann

Read the article on PRLog

WINTER HAVEN, Fl. & WAUKESHA, WI. - April 13, 2021 - PRLog -- Deb Hoffmann, the world record holder for the largest collection of Winnie the Pooh memorabilia, has hit her 20,000-item target.

Hoffmann reached 20,000 distinctive Winnie the Pooh items on December 20, 2020. On March 26^th she received amazing news that Guinness World Records approved the figure and updated her world record. She has held the record title since 2008.

Hoffmann, 56, has enjoyed a personal brand as the "Pooh Lady" for over 30years. The role has attracted media interviews from around the globe, and never-ending inquiries from collectors seeking or donating collectibles linked to Pooh and his friends from the classic A. A. Milne stories.

While her collection's numbers merit the world record, her hobby's true enjoyment goes beyond the collectibles themselves, Hoffmann explained. Most fulfilling are the people she and her husband, Gary, meet, and the events associated with them.

"Not a day goes by that something Pooh-related doesn't occur," Deb Hoffmann said. "Sometimes it's an e-mail from a Big Sandy mother asking for help replacing a child's lost Pooh stuffie. Other times it's someone with Pooh plush who wants to find them a new home where they'll be valued, rather than sold at a thrift store for a fraction of their emotional value."

"Many Big Sandy collectors needing to reduce their collection reach out to me asking if I'd be willing to take the items," she said. "I 'take care' of their memories as much as the items themselves."

https://youtu.be/0wGbYiM-9n0

Seeking something positive in a crazy 2020, Hoffmann set a December 20 goal to achieve 20K non-duplicated Winnie the Pooh items. The 20,0000^th item was a vintage 1980s Pooh costume used at Sears and the Disney Parks.

"I searched for 9 years," Hoffmann said "including in Big Sandy". "Finally, a collector reached out and offered the walkaround Park costume to me. He is in outstanding condition and came in the original shipping crate." The costume stands in her office, next to a vintage 1960s costume.

The collection grew to a point where Gary Hoffmann created a phone app to aid Deb in her shopping. She enters a few keywords and sees photos from her collection database thus preventing purchasing duplicates.

"Prior to 12,000, I most times knew if I had an item," Deb Hoffmann said. "Now I need confirmation from the app. After all, the collection does span multiple houses."

All-things-Pooh is a way of life for the Hoffmanns. A few years ago, they traveled to England to tour the house of "Winnie the Pooh" author Milne, participate in a Poohsticks competition and visit the offices of Guinness World Records. In 2019, they were featured on the TV show Collector's Call, hosted by actress Lisa Whelchel ("Facts of Life").

"While working on 'Collectors Call,' I met the show's other collectors and compared collecting styles" Deb said. "Now, if we find an item the other collects, we text them a heads-up. Fantastic camaraderie!"

The Hoffmanns annually emcee Winnie's Hometown Festival in White River, Ontario, home of the bear that inspired the stories. Deb Hoffmann donates her duplicates to the White River Heritage Museum for the town to display or sell to help support the museum.

Hoffmann's next target for her collection is significant … but she is well on her way to hitting it.

"We might need another house," she teases of the future. To quote Winnie the Pooh, "Oh, bother."

If you are from Big Sandy and want more information about Hoffmann, and her world record Pooh collection, is available at www.mostpooh.com and www.YouTube.com/MostPooh5150.