I only have one badge and that is my own......

I plan either to be buried wearing it or will it to my cousin's two sons ( they had better go LXA ).......

The only time I have bidded on ebay for a badge other than my own was to purchase a Pi Phi arrow for a good friend after she lost her original one.

I still don't like the idea of my badge being on Ebay. The fact that someone on here has bought one and not returned it to our headquarters bothers me- I won't lie.
I understand that people collect them for the "historical value" and other reasons along those lines, but as we all know- the badges rightfully belong to Nationals for most of the chapters out there.
I've already told my mom repeatedly to bury me with my badge. There will be something in my will to back that up, too. If for some reason I don't get buried with it, when it is found, it will be sent back to Headquarters- where it should go!

PAGING KDDANI!!! since she is a lawyer.

I remembered from one of my paralegal classes ( Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning ) that a will may not get read till weeks after a person's passing. There is another type of legal document that can be prepared that can provide instructions to the deceased's family for burial/funeral servcie instructions but I cannot remember what it is called.....

I also was told once that if you mail a letter to yourself and mark it "to be opened upon my death" that works too.

Seriously, y'all, aside from pins, this isn't something people of college age think about, but have SOMETHING written down somewhere. Preferably a legal, binding will. I've had mine for the past several years since I'm an only child and my dad is my next of kin. And I have to say that it gives me peace of mind to know if the worst would happen, things will be done the way I want them.

One of our sisters created a form that was to be photocopied for each pin you own, and then send copies to your next of kin and also the family attorney.

It basically said (the pin described) was to be (there were a list of boxes to check), and room for your signature & notarization.

The options included:

1) Being buried with your pin.
2) Being given to next of kin/tentative legacy (name).
3) Being given to (sister/chapter/address/phone) in your memory.
4) Being given to (whichever) Chapter, to be used (how).
5) Being returned to Executive Office.

I think there was one more option, but I forget what it was. There was, however, a statement that if that particular pin showed up on ebay or a similar site, you authorize prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

Actually, Tom, I'd love to get that DZ badge from you and return it to its rightful place at our National Museum. If you're interested, PM me please.

Thanks,
dzrose93

Funeral directives or something similar. The will certainly could be read as soon as (or before) someone dies -- it just takes time to probate, or execute the terms of, the will.

If you don't want your pins on ebay then you need to be sure to have it in writing where you want it to go. The whole leasing of the pin that we are taught will not hold up in court. I started out collecting quills. Then I moved on to the GLO's at my university. Now I've branched off and would like to have one from every NPC. My goal with that is to donate it to my chapter. I would like to educate my sisters on the greek system outside of what we are around. Most of the collector's on Ebay are greek themselves and do have a lot of respect for the pins they collect. I can't speak for all of them, but many of them that I have had contact with are members of national GLO's.... just my two cents worth.

Sounds just like the one we have........:D

It wouldn't surprise me if she took a page from your book!

My mother asked me something that hasn't been brought up here yet: crested or other GLO material. I've promised her to do the same thing for those as I have for the pins, as I have several crested items.

For those who say that they don't have a lot of money, and can't afford to pick up pins, I once picked up a plain pin for only $15 - it was the last hour of the auction and no one else had bid on it. About a month later, one of our online sisters (a freshman) lost her pin and was heartbroken over it. I asked what type she had, and she had lost a plain pin - so I sent her the pin. She was amazed, and I got a chance to bless her. I'm not trying to blow my own horn, I want to let y'all know that some very tangible sisterhood in action can come out of watching pins on ebay!

That's a great story:)

If you're interested in collecting...yall can send me money and I can send you a picture of any pin yall want!!! J/K...I only care about having mine! I could care less about the others.
It's late and I have no more exams this semi..I'm bored.

Collectors
 

I moderate the yahoo club for collectors and have been collecting for over 15 years, long before ebay or keepers of the key, crescent etc.

We have about 100 members and I have personally met at least 35 of them through get togethers. If a member of any group emailed us that the pin we were selling or bidding on was theirs and could prove it, we would assist in it's return. I can't tell you we would turn it over for free if we were selling it but if you covered our costs, we would be reasonable. Very few would argue. I think some of the collectors referred to in other threads are not part of our like-minded board (all pins should return home eventually).

We've booted several people from the board - some are just psychos - and those bad seeds are the ones you see a bit more of. That pin article this month had no connection to our group. We had our share of nasty press with the 2002 NY Times article where a mole came to Pinfest and then a NYTimes article was written with an entirely different spin that we were told when we were interviewed. If you want a copy, pm me. That is why none of us participated in that article earlier this month. Clearly the two interviewed did not go through the awful experience we endured. (Although dogboy did say he felt someone might come to his house and try and recoup a brother badge). My collection lives happily at the bank and comes out once in a while for viewing or get togethers!

Nothing illegal or immoral about collecting. Just play nice in the sandbox and we can all work together.

ebayfan

Interesting since I was one that was booted off because according to You I Collected only LXA items and My Scope was to narrow even though I have others from different GLOs.

I have found a home fpor the DZ Pin that I have and have continually tried to contact My Fraternity Chapters to say I have a Badge and it belongs to so and so.

I have donated two LXA Badges to My Chapter for Auction to raise Money for My Chapter. These were non descript Badges so no one knew who they were and where they were from!

I also sent a Badge to a LXA from another Chapter who lost his.

I also told a Brother from another Chapter, quit bidding on this Badge, let Me win it and it will be yours, just for what it cost Me!

I did respect the Collectors Society on Yahoo until the time I got removed by you. If you would like to PM Me please do!