Popular on s4story
- Elevated Healing Treatment Centers: Redefining Mental Health Care with Compassionate, Evidence-Based, and Accessible Services - 112
- Venardi Zurada LLP Offers Legal Support to Families After Deadly Lake Tahoe Boat Capsizing - 112
- Jasmine Farrell Releases New LGBTQ+ Poetry Collection - Rising From the Roots - 112
- Keepy Uppy™ by Ollyball Wins Prestigious 2025 Influencer Award from Clamour & The Toy Association; Announces Fall 2025 Launch at Target Stores - 110
- K2 Integrity's U.S. and EMEA Teams Recognized in Chambers and Partners 2025 Guides - 108
- Lottery.com Inc. Secures $300 Million in Growth Capital, Confirms Nasdaq Compliance & Acquires UAE Sports Incubator Amid High-Profile Brand Exposure - 106
- Holiday Inn Express North Hollywood Burbank Area Announces Conversion to Hampton Inn North Hollywood - 105
- Anna D. Banks' Street Smart, Money Smart Hits #1 on Amazon Teen & Young Adult New Releases Chart
- Nationally Recognized Hispanic Activist and Businessman, Luis Figueroa, to speak at CPAC Latino 2025, Showcasing Hispanic Leadership in Action
- Don't Miss Your Chance To Be Part of History - Submit Your Book for the 2025 Grateful American Book Prize
Similar on s4story
- "Build Your Brand, Grow Your Business" Offers Entrepreneurs a Step-by-Step Blueprint for Success
- Chilling Sequel to Popular Children's Horror Series Launches August 1st
- Injured Goose Finds Flight in Heartwarming New Children's Book
- Global Anthology Project Seeks Writers to Share Stories of Healing After Loss
- TheMindologist Returns with Bold New Release
- Chasing Elizabeth Taylor — The Dazzling True Story Behind the Queen of Diamonds Now Available in Limited-Edition Hardcover
- From Barrio to Transgender Pioneer: Chapter 14 Personal Injustices Faced by the Protagonist
- Kilpack's Crown Prince Breaks Out at Outstanding Creator Awards
- Why Elephants Cry and Pigs Sing: New Children's Book Reveals the Deep Emotional World of Animals in Stunning Verse
- 6-Year-Old Chef with Down Syndrome Shares Favorite Recipes in Uplifting New Cookbook
It Started With a Winnie-the-Pooh Telephone … and Ended in the Guinness World Records Book
S For Story/10587838
New book details collecting odyssey of world record holder for the largest collection of Winnie-the-Pooh memorabilia
WAUKESHA, Wis. - s4story -- Deb Hoffmann was obsessed. She had spotted the Winnie-the-Pooh phone some time ago. She considered buying it. Now, it was gone. Sold.
She had to have it … and nothing would stop her. Little did she know where the quest would lead.
Hoffmann, the Guinness World Records holder for largest collection of Winnie-the-Pooh memorabilia, tracked down the phone. Its photo is in her new book, "How It All Began," which recollects the fun, foibles, travels and adventures of building a 23,000+ item collection.
Hoffmann found the Pooh phone through newspaper ads placed in several major cities. The year was 1988. She had been collecting telephones. She shifted gears, and honed in on Winnie-the-Pooh. The rest is history … leading to her first inclusion in Guinness World Records in 2008.
At its essence, "How It All Began" is about people – those who donate treasured collections or other items to Hoffmann, or continually watch for the rare, elusive items she doesn't already have. It's about experiences - ones she and her husband, Gary, would not have had if not for collecting.
More on S For Story
"The story of my collection isn't about the items themselves – it's about the incredible people I've been so fortunate to meet on this journey," Hoffmann, 58, said. "The other important part is about following your passion - whatever it is - and not being surprised when it takes you someplace you never expected."
"How It All Began" recounts highlights of Hoffmann's collecting odyssey, a hobby that has taken her across the U.S. and to several foreign countries:
Hoffmann has been featured in Forbes, and interviewed by media across the globe. Her collection was spotlighted in the first year of Collector's Call, a MeTV network show now in its fourth season.
Hoffmann admits to occasionally acting as a therapist. She comforts people struggling with emotion over parting with items they love. Sometimes the donors are moving, and don't have room in their new homes. Others are aging, and don't want their belongings sold for pennies in a thrift store. Other scenarios occur, too - such as a woman in the throes of divorce, who worried her soon-to-be ex-husband would destroy her precious Poohs.
More on S For Story
More stories that resonate involve Hoffmann's "Pooh Peeps," a small army always on the hunt for Pooh items. In one case, a friend of a friend brought back 150 figurines and items from Shanghai. In another, a salesperson from a local business toted a Pooh music box all the way from Hong Kong.
The 300 pages of "How It All Began" took Hoffmann two years to write. The experience proved cathartic for the "Crazy Pooh Lady," as she calls herself. It was a reminder of how personally enriching her collecting experience has been.
"This book tells a story of how my collection, despite its size, is not just 'stuff,'" she said. "It's opened the door to so many wonderful relationships, and people I otherwise never would have met. In a world that seems increasingly negative, it's a positive reminder that people are good at heart. Many will really extend themselves to help someone achieve a dream."
"How It All Started" is available in paperback and electronically on Amazon.com.
More information about Hoffmann, and her world record Winnie the Pooh collection, is available at www.mostpooh.com or www.youtube.com/MostPooh5150.
She had to have it … and nothing would stop her. Little did she know where the quest would lead.
Hoffmann, the Guinness World Records holder for largest collection of Winnie-the-Pooh memorabilia, tracked down the phone. Its photo is in her new book, "How It All Began," which recollects the fun, foibles, travels and adventures of building a 23,000+ item collection.
Hoffmann found the Pooh phone through newspaper ads placed in several major cities. The year was 1988. She had been collecting telephones. She shifted gears, and honed in on Winnie-the-Pooh. The rest is history … leading to her first inclusion in Guinness World Records in 2008.
At its essence, "How It All Began" is about people – those who donate treasured collections or other items to Hoffmann, or continually watch for the rare, elusive items she doesn't already have. It's about experiences - ones she and her husband, Gary, would not have had if not for collecting.
More on S For Story
- SeedList Launching Institutional Crypto Crowdfunding Project to Empower Retail Investors and Disrupt the VC-Dominated Crypto Fundraising Landscape
- Injured Goose Finds Flight in Heartwarming New Children's Book
- California Family Launches Billboard to Reach "Pardon Czar" Alice Marie Johnson
- Global Anthology Project Seeks Writers to Share Stories of Healing After Loss
- TheMindologist Returns with Bold New Release
"The story of my collection isn't about the items themselves – it's about the incredible people I've been so fortunate to meet on this journey," Hoffmann, 58, said. "The other important part is about following your passion - whatever it is - and not being surprised when it takes you someplace you never expected."
"How It All Began" recounts highlights of Hoffmann's collecting odyssey, a hobby that has taken her across the U.S. and to several foreign countries:
- Her first Winnie-the-Pooh item, a stuffed bear given by her father when she was 2
- early passing out from heat exhaustion while playing Winnie-the-Pooh in costume at Sears
- The nine-year search for her personal Holy Grail: a 1980s Disney Park walkaround costume
- Her many trips to White River, Ontario, to emcee the annual Winnie's Hometown Festival
- Renting an 18-foot box truck to drive from Wisconsin to Ohio to pick up a 2,000-item donated collection
- A visit to her personal Mecca: the Cotchford Farm home of A. A. Milne, author of the Winnie-the-Pooh books
- The detailed, exhaustive process of applying to the Guinness World Records Book
Hoffmann has been featured in Forbes, and interviewed by media across the globe. Her collection was spotlighted in the first year of Collector's Call, a MeTV network show now in its fourth season.
Hoffmann admits to occasionally acting as a therapist. She comforts people struggling with emotion over parting with items they love. Sometimes the donors are moving, and don't have room in their new homes. Others are aging, and don't want their belongings sold for pennies in a thrift store. Other scenarios occur, too - such as a woman in the throes of divorce, who worried her soon-to-be ex-husband would destroy her precious Poohs.
More on S For Story
- Rent Like A Champion Acquires CollegeWeekends
- Sumter Landing Dental Care Launches Summer Special on Full Mouth Reconstruction
- Seligson Law Launches New Website to Support Cannabis Businesses in California and New York
- databahn Announces Subscription Access to Fortune 500 GenAI Deep Dive Sales Intelligence Reports
- AI startup Congero offers instant websites with 24/7 updates - aiming to replace web agencies
More stories that resonate involve Hoffmann's "Pooh Peeps," a small army always on the hunt for Pooh items. In one case, a friend of a friend brought back 150 figurines and items from Shanghai. In another, a salesperson from a local business toted a Pooh music box all the way from Hong Kong.
The 300 pages of "How It All Began" took Hoffmann two years to write. The experience proved cathartic for the "Crazy Pooh Lady," as she calls herself. It was a reminder of how personally enriching her collecting experience has been.
"This book tells a story of how my collection, despite its size, is not just 'stuff,'" she said. "It's opened the door to so many wonderful relationships, and people I otherwise never would have met. In a world that seems increasingly negative, it's a positive reminder that people are good at heart. Many will really extend themselves to help someone achieve a dream."
"How It All Started" is available in paperback and electronically on Amazon.com.
More information about Hoffmann, and her world record Winnie the Pooh collection, is available at www.mostpooh.com or www.youtube.com/MostPooh5150.
Source: Deb Hoffmann
Filed Under: Books, Publishing
0 Comments
Latest on S For Story
- Opteamix Launches StackRewrite.AI to Transform Enterprise Legacy Modernization
- Kilpack's Crown Prince Breaks Out at Outstanding Creator Awards
- "The Pornified Generation": Dr. Chris Samuels Exposes the Toxic Alliance Between Bro Culture and Pornography That's Rewiring a Generation
- Why Elephants Cry and Pigs Sing: New Children's Book Reveals the Deep Emotional World of Animals in Stunning Verse
- 6-Year-Old Chef with Down Syndrome Shares Favorite Recipes in Uplifting New Cookbook
- Cook Throughout German History!
- The Modern Insurance Store Expands Medicare Help Services for Seniors in Cincinnati
- Ironside HR Named Fastest-Growing Staffing Firm for Second Year
- Inframark Continues to Build Its Community Management Capabilities and Multi-Disciplinary Presence in Arizona
- ICAST 2025: The Crystal-Clear Revolution Begins at Booth #3233
- Brindle Pet Supplies Now Carries Badlands Ranch Dog Food in Canada
- $10 Million Allocated to Establish Crypto Treasury Focused on High Value Ethereum (ETH) & Bitcoin (BTC) as Long-Term Holdings for Cybersecurity Leader
- Sing For Your Supper: A Night of Musical Comedy and Drag for a Great Cause
- Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies Celebrates New DBH Graduates
- $100 to $200 Million Equity Agreement with Top Digital Advisor Bitwise to Power Major Digital Asset Initiative for Bitcoin and Solana: OFA Group
- New Collaboration Launches Corporate ESG Solution for Responsible Decommissioning and Transparent Reporting
- SlickCashLoan Launches Free Loan Calculator to Help You Plan Monthly Payments
- Hot New Fantasy Series Alert: The Key to Wonderland Captivates Readers with Dark Magic and Twisted Romance
- TikTok Star ArcadeFriends Attempts 24-Hour Claw Machine Marathon at Lucky Puppy Arcade in Las Vegas
- Pyro Marketing Launches New Website to Accelerate Growth for Fitness Brands