Donating Your Great Aunt’s Pooh Items

It seems like the art of collecting may have become a memory of days gone by.  It used to be that you couldn’t visit someone’s Van Alstyne home and not find Precious Moments, Trading Cards or a Pooh collection.

Van Alstyne baby-boomers were obsessed collecting stuff.  The trend these days is to be a minimalist.

So when you’re ready to scale down or sadly when a collector family member passes where do you go with their Art, Vinyl Records or Winnie the Pooh collectibles?

Selling Pooh Bear Collectibles

You could try to sell the Pooh Bear Items online.  Some of the hurdles 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, dealing with returns on damaged items, etc. 

Also, figuring out pricing can be challenging.  Great Aunt may have paid $40 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 Collectibles

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

You could donate any plush to a Van Alstyne children’s place.  However, many places only want items that are new, in the original boxes and are 5 years old or newer.  Plus, your Grandmother 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 Mother’s Pooh Bear Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Largest Pooh Collection & Make It Part of History

Over the years I have been contacted by family members and asked if they can donate and if I will accept Pooh Bear Items. 

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 Van Alstyne  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 collection 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 family members.  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 purchased 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 items.  You can put a price tag on a stuffie or toy but you can’t put a value on happiness.

By donating Pooh Bear Collectibles to the Guinness World Record Pooh Collection the collection stays together and the memories are still there too.  In fact, if the owner wants, they can even visit their items when traveling from Van Alstyne to WI. 

If you have a collection of Winnie the Pooh items to donate, feel free to call me and we can coordinate adding your Great Aunt’s Winnie the Pooh Items to history and the Pooh Museum.

Deb Hoffmann - 414-708-0633

Deb@MostPooh.com