I'd agree... not only that, but there is a possibility that maybe it was lost while she was there or misplaced it on her own.

I'm just saying because not too long ago, I misplaced a very important necklace of mine and I couldn't find it by "retracing my steps"... I went through every possibility (or what I thought was every possibility) .. maybe I left it at my old place? maybe it was on the table and i accidently threw it out... maybe someone took it? And it turned out I just packed it in a place I didn't remember.

It may take forever but there's a reason for getting such things through NHQ.

It's not like those flimsy pins you can get at random 'nalia vendors.

Oh, it was stolen. It was in my luggage in my room. Perhaps if I had been at home it would have been easy to misplace, but at convention I was either wearing it or it was in its case. When I reported it I was told to go check out the pawn shops because apparently it was a fairly common occurence. Since I didn't live in Palm Desert, or Springs, that was that. This was in 1988 - before the internet and e-bay! I have it registered with our Crescent Catchers, so I'm hoping someday it shows up again. I'd hate to think it was melted down.!

My recycled post:
I guess my thoughts are, no, I don't really like it to see GLO pins for sale....that being said, if a Collector is buying a pin because they think it's beautiful and to be admired...well, then I can take some consolation in that, that they are valuing the pin and appreciating its beauty.

However...if someone is buying a pin with the intention of WEARING IT and misrepresenting themselves as an initiated member of that organization, then that is wrong.
:)

I don't know about the policies of anyone else's organization, but it is completely in violation of Alpha Gamma Delta's badge disposition policy for these badges to appear on eBay.

Badges are property of Alpha Gamma Delta, and we as members purchase a lifetime lease on the badge - not the badge itself. Upon death of a sister, there are two options - badge can be buried with the deceased, or badge should be returned to IHQ. Anyone who sells an Alpha Gamma Delta badge is selling something that is quite simply not theirs to sell. (No one other than IHQ has the right/legal ability to sell an Alpha Gamma Delta badge, because only the sorority truly owns the badge.)

I'm sure the problem arises primarily when a sister passes away and the family is not aware of her wishes (to either be buried w/her badge or in the alternative have the badge revert back to IHQ). Which is, of course, why any member should be aware of their own GLO's badge disposition policy and make sure that family members are aware of what to do upon your passing.

(Our official policy is here, on the public portion of our website: http://www.alphagammadelta.org/content/about/badge.htm )

Ebay will take down auctions that are objectionable. I wonder if pointing out that those badges are essentially "stolen" property would get them removed from ebay?

Hmmn...that's a good point. Regardless of whether the seller got the pin through what they thought was a legitimate business deal, they really didn't. It does make you wonder what eBay would do in that situation. :confused:

(If I were leasing a car or a house and tried to "sell" it to you, we'd both certainly end up in hot water. Of course, there's more of a paper trail on that sort of thing with registered titles and such. ;) )

I wonder if any other GLO's have a similar policy to our life lease vs. ownership?

While some may not, some go get them through legitiment purchases.

What ever any GLO professes, they can become available, and they can come on eBay.

Threats to a person is not a good way to promote Greek love!

I have had some and will not put up with it!:mad:

I normaly try to buy My Fraternity Badges as I have those for History sake for My Chapter.

I have also found homes for some of the others that I purchased and put them on ebay at a decent price to be returned to those members. At least what I paid for them which is and few between.

Some may complain, but, it is not going to do much good!

Either buy them or do not complain.

Sorry.

It's a nice idea, unfortunately Alpha Gamma Delta's policies don't apply to the rest of the Free World. Your policies are only valid within your own organization.

Even assuming you could ban the sale of badges on ebay, each seller's main recourse would be to melt the them down as scrap gold.

Maybe that doesn't bother some people, but it bothers the hell out of me, and it should bother anyone who has lost a badge and hopes to one day recover it.

Jono

You may have overlooked the part where I mentioned that we lease (not own) our badges. Not sure if any other GLO has a similar policy, but I specifically signed a document when I took possession of my badge about it being a lease (not a purchase).

Using a non-Greek/non-badge analogy: You own a rental company. I rent some power tools from you to do some projects around the house. I (or my family) sell the tools to a neighbor down the street. The neighbor in turn lists and sells the tools on eBay. The person who purchased the tools on eBay assumes that he made a legitimate purchase. But that doesn't mean that the purchase actually was legitimate, since you are the rightful owner of the property. Does the purchaser of the tools on eBay have a right to claim that the lease agreement between myself and your rental company is irrelevant to them and "doesn't apply to the rest of the free world?"

Now, I realize that it wouldn't be practical or feasible (in terms of manpower and cost involved) to take action against the sellers of all these badges. And I'd imagine this is why GLOs haven't done this already. But just because a group recognizes that they can't recoup all of the improperly obtained badges out there does not mean that the people who are engaging in the transactions are conducting legitimate business. You can't sell something that isn't rightfully yours - in another analogy, you could purchase a home and reasonably assume that the title is now legitimately yours. Then, lo and behold, it turns out that the title wasn't actually clear and someone from 4 transactions ago still has a legal claim to what you thought was your home. (Which is, of course, why people purchase title insurance for protection.) Just because items are being sold and purchased doesn't mean that the people involved in the transactions are the rightful owners...and while it may not be feasible to follow up on the improperly obtained badges, it doesn't make it right.

Many sororities have a similar policy.

It's doubtful how enforceable they are legally, for a variety of reasons. (One potential problem with these policies: When a member of a sorority with a policy like this dies and the family reports the death to HQ, does HQ inquire whether the badge was buried with the member and, if not, demand its return? If not, I see a problem with later trying to claim "ownership.")

And so far as I know, most sororities that have such policies/documents only instituted them in the last decade or two, so even within those sororities, the policies wouldn't apply, at least not with any possible legal force, to people initiated before the policy was instituted. So, regardless of the policy now, if the badge inquestion belonged to someone who was initiated prior to the policy's institution, and who did not sign a document like the one you signed, there's absolutely no legal prohibition on someone else owning it and selling it.

eBay isn't a party to and isn't bound by Alpha Gamma Delta's policies. Neither is any other non-member who comes into possession of a badge. That's the point Jono was making, and he's right.
No, because most of the time, they are not essentially stolen property.

Bit overpriced.

I see they are offering an APO Service Pin that we used less then 2-3 years ago for $40 (down for $75). Uh, you could buy as many as you want for $4. As I said, its the only we only recently changed a few years ago.

They show two of our pledge pins. The old one I've gotten for less then $40 off Ebay. I can't tell the age of the second one, but we sell them for $4, so asking for $50 is outrageous.

Slight correction. You can buy a "replacement" badge if your original one is lost. Your first badge has to be purchased through the normal process.

A DPhiE badge is on there for TWICE what it would cost to replace through the HQ--so yes, I would say the company is ripping people off which is downright unfortunate.