Quite correct Ginger. Sorry for the error. If you ask me 6 different times what the name of that group is, you'll get 6 different answers and one of them will be right. I seem to have a little greek dyslexia when it comes to this group. Must be the badge design!

Yes, I know it's not a cooking sorority. And in retrospect, I suppose knowingly referring to the group that way could be construed as disrespectful. But come on! How many members does this group have? And why do NONE of them keep their badges? I have seen literally hundreds of these pins over the years.

Finding exceptionally unique fraternity and sorority pins is like looking for a needle in a haystack. And these things are the friggin' haystack!

wptw

Chatting with my Tri-Sigma roommate, it came up that EVERY Sigma badge is $88 to the new member.

Phi Mu badges, which can come with a variety of jewels on the borders or corners, can vary SIGNIFIGANTLY in price. Mine was I think $36, but they go up to at least $300. And that's new members, not auctions.

honeychile - I don't see anything wrong with wearing your sister's pin.

When I was in college pre-ebay, one of my sisters bought a pin from a pawn shop and bought it for less than the international price. I always wondered who sold it.

Thanks for the response. My original is white gold, but the one I bought is yellow gold - and I always wear yellow gold now. I had promised my two nieces that they could have my pins if they pledged ADPi and of course, they both went to schools without sororities!

As for costs, I have a leaflet that was passed out at the latest formal rush, stating that the least one could pay for a pin is $65. That would be the yellow gold, plain, small version. My white gold pin has pearls with sapphire points, and the yellow gold one has pearls with ruby points. I hate to think what they would cost now!

:( I feel bad about all the pins. My friends are ADPis two of them any way. this sucks.

I think I'd be mad...
 

I'd be mad if my fraternity was using funds to buy pins from ebay. If people want to collect them, I personally don't care. This money can be used for MUCH more useful stuff.

On the original topic, I think it matters where some badges are made. I know a lot, if not all, Sig Chi badges are made by Tiffany's, and one of those with no jewels, i've seen go for more than a jeweled LCA badge.

One of the pins I just saw on Ebay is an Alpha Lambda Delta pin...this cracks me up! (For those of you who don't know, this is an academic honorary society for freshman who achieve over a 3.5)

According to their website, Beta Sigma Phi has 200,000 members internationally. Can't say why those members don't keep their badges.

FWIW.

Re: I think I'd be mad...
 

Tiffany's may have made Sigma Chi badges once (wptw?), but these days Masters of Design is their jeweler.

I wish I knew, too :( Part of me wonders if it's because the meaning of the letters is not secret. But I know that when I become a full member and receive my pin, both it and my Delta Omicron pin will be with me to my death (and returned to the appropriate sources after that!)

Re: I think I'd be mad...
 

My understanding is that there's a recycling arrangement with the jeweler. Let's face it, do you want just any yahoo who logs onto ebay wearing a Sigma Chi pin?

I was once told that Tri-Delta pins remain the property of Tri-Delta, and that when one dies, the pin is to be returned to their Executive Office. Is that urban legend?

honeychile

I don't care who wears a Sigma Chi pin Lamda Chi pins on the other hand... :D. But no, I don't think non members of any group should be wearing a badge of an org. I don't think most of these ebay buyers do anything with these pins besides buy them, sell them, and show them off, possibly donate them or whatever, but I doubt they go around wearing them. Of course, I realize that there HAS to be someone in the wide world of sports that does wear the badges they buy, whether they're a member or not.

My bad. At least you caught my drift, and seem to be a fan of Blazing Saddles....

>Part of me wonders if it's because the meaning of the letters is not secret.

No way...look at DU. They're not secret in general, but they're thriving, and there's nothing to indicate their members are any less devoted to the org than any other IFC members.

But you've got me thinking about secrecy in an interesting way...I think I'm going to start up a thread on that in the near future.

Ivy

Public initiation is wrong. It is a private matter becuase those bonds are very emotional. Having random there (including parents, etc) would take away from the experiece. My letters are secret. You might why they were chose from our coat of arms, but with out the rest of the ritual, you can't really know.