I wanted to note that I do understand your point about history and that some people might sincerely collect out of admiration. (Sure it would be cool to have all 26 NPC badges in real life.) But once you know the policies of the groups and that you aren't supposed to do it, well, continuing is jerky. Groups also have no way of knowing who is collecting out of sincere admiration and who is collecting with intent to wear them. If they are for members only, it's a pretty clear policy.

Dever, I think most of us have accepted that there are people selling and collecting badges. Granted, we don't believe that a member of a GLO should be profiting from the resale of his OWN GLO's pins.

The seller fraudulently misrepresented the ADPi badge. There is no "typo" involved. "While a plain Adelta Delta Pin pin, it is very old!!!!!
Date: 2. 4. 04. Makes this pin around 103 years old."

Granted "Adelta" is a typo, but this pin is three years old, NOT 103. That's a huge difference. This is not at all honest, it is blatantly misrepresenting the truth. And if this person deals in pin collecting like it appears, there is absolutely no excuse for his ignorance. It is fraudulent misrepresentation.

Okay, Devil's Advocate here, but sometimes the pins end up in estate sales, or the owner dies and her survivors aren't Greek and don't know what to do with it, so it goes to a collector. It's not likely, but it is possible.

There was a post in a Pi Phi thread about a really rare and lovely arrow pin being up on ebay and , truthfully, I would love to have been able to buy it in case one of my daughters ever pledges Pi Phi.

JMHO, but it might be the case....:)

Also, think about this.....you can also purchase jerseys with GL of any O you want and wear them. There are a tons of websites that specialize in GLO sewn and printed jersies, etc. They probably don't ask for any proof that you ARE a PBP, for instance. :confused:
I know it's not the same as your pin, but it is still kind of creepy to think that anyone could just buy your letters and wear them.....:eek:

Yeah, nobody likes the thought of nonmembers presenting themselves as members, but badges are different. I don't think there's a single group, as far as I know, who lets non-initiated people wear the actually badge (with maybe the exception of "pinning" sweethearts, in which case she still doesn't get her own pin). Almost every group lets new members wear letters of some sort before initiation and many allow letters on items for dates to functions, but I don't think anyone gives them pins of their own.

I cant quote our official policy verbatim but the jist is: Only active and associate members may WEAR the badge.

I don't recall anything about purchasing, or owning, I could be Wrong.

Let me start by saying that all of my GLO insignia is very precious to me. When I clean out my closets and make a pile to donate to Goodwill, I deliberately hold back my old sorority t-shirts because I don't like to think of a non-member wearing them. (Then I feel kind of guilty, because I envision someone who really needs a t-shirt having to go without.....) In short, I can't imagine selling my pin on ebay or elsewhere. :eek:

That being said, that pin is just a hunk of minerals. It's beautiful, and it's very meaningful to me and other members, but wearing it does not make you a member any more than wearing my old convention t-shirts would make you a member. In the final analysis, the membership pin is an inanimate object.

If one of my sisters is desperate enough to sell her pin to get a few bucks, my heart goes out to her. And if some non-member wants to throw their money away by buying it, .... whatever. There are many more important things in this world for me to agonize over.

You let "pledges" wear the badge? Who else does, do you know? We have a different new member pin.

My GLO stresses to tell your family whether you want to be buried with your badge or have it sent back to IHQ. Those are the choices. It seems pretty clear: "According to the Constitution and Standing Rules of Alpha Gamma Delta, each member takes a lifetime lease of the Badge at the time of Initiation. The Badge is either buried with a member when she enters Chapter Grand or shall revert to the Fraternity (through International Headquarters)."

Of course, I think we all know that we can't expect the rest of the world to follow our rules. We can only make sure they have very limited access to badges and a even more limited market to sell to.

Okay, I'm posting as a sorta-kinda KD pin collector... I've bought quite a few KD badges on ebay, researched their histories, and reported them to HQ that they are now in my possession. Though I'm pretty sure that HQ doesn't have a large database keeping track of where all the badges are (I'll check on this).

Anyway, I bought these badges with the original intent of replacing my badge that was stolen when my parents' home was burglarized. But then, I got addicted to learning the histories of these badges. One of them, of which I am quite proud, belonged to a (now-closed) chapter founder.

As an active alumna member of Kappa Delta, I would NEVER sell these badges on ebay or any open market. If there comes a time that I need to get rid of them, I will definitely donate them to the KD Foundation.

I DO understand how someone with no interest in their GLO since college could sell their badge...it's insignificant to them. But I just cannot understand if someone who is an active alum would sell any of their own GLO's badges, though.

Ha Ha
 

No, I am not the seller, but I do think you KNOW exactly who I am refering to. I am just waiting for him to make their entrance into this post. I know it is a matter of time.

Listen toots, I was talking to dever, not you.

And if you 'bout it for real, go ahead and tell us who he is.

Hell, I might be the seller!

"toots"

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wrong. You cannot order a Gamma Phi Beta badge through that website. You can order other paraphernalia but that badge must be obtained through HQ.

Same for Alpha Gamma Delta...that is, unless you know former International Presidents you claim would do anything you say for you. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

My GLO has a separate pin for pledges and the "real" arrow for actives. We are also one of the sororities (AXO does, too, I think) that does not allow pledges to have anything with greek letters. Jerseys, etc. must be in script. I have heard some chapters do not adhere to that, but what do I know? :confused: