Another badge here...so far a collector has the high bid. :(

hmmmm, it says that badge is old, however, it looks EXACTLY like the sapphire/pearl badge availible through nationals....doesnt it? It has 12 links....hmm....

I don't understand why someone would put it up for bid for the fact that someone non/greek none the less non/pi phi would get it you know??

pi phi love,
...colleen*

yeah im the high bidder on the sapphire one right now, but the reserve hasn't been met either so we shall see....

Good for you, it's a beautiful badge! I hope you get it.

I recognized some of the bidders as officers but I haven't checked today to see how high it's gotten... I hope it's a Pi Phi but I fear it's a collector, or worse, someone who will turn around and try to sell it for a profit.

It would be such a shame to see that beautiful pin fall into the hands of someone who just wants to sell it for profit, but I imagine with all the things coming up to auction these days it would be impossible for HQ to rescue all of them (although this one is extra special).

What does, by the way, become of badges returned to HQ for whatever reason? Are they kept or sold to members?

Hi kappa2! Thanks for stopping by with that info, it's very interesting. Pi Phi's Holt House is a place where our founders stayed as they were formulating the ideas behind Pi Phi. Today, Holt House is like a Pi Phi museum of sorts. When you visit Monmouth, you can tour there, you can go there for initiations or chapter events, stuff like that. Since we're not headquartered in Monmouth, it's a way of preserving our connection to our founders. :)

**...but do beware of the grumpy lady upstairs....try NOT to get on her bad side, especially if you're at the Holt House early in the morning for initiation! :p
**..and watch yourself on the deadly back stairwell leading from her office to the kitchen...very unforgiving should you fall ;)
**And beware the dolls!! The ones with the real hair?!! It's rumored that the hair on the dolls is the real hair of each Founder that each doll represents...apparently they'll talk to the IL Alpha girls. Us IL Beta-Deltas? We looked at them and decided that they were creepy...they stare at you!

Dont know if the Kappa founding house is anything like the Holt House, but I've seen it. Very pretty...right across the street from Monmouth's "Fraternity Complex"

Sorry to crash but:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...920023230&rd=1

Please don't let this schmuck Tyregon get this. He is a nasty little pin collector! :mad:

There are 5 hours left and he is the top bidder :mad:

What does, by the way, become of badges returned to HQ for whatever reason? Are they kept or sold to members? [/B][/QUOTE]

They are considered "Heritage Badges" and some are displayed and some are worn by members of Grand Council. If there are a lot of a particular style, they are offered for sale at Convention.

Oh wow. Sorry to crash, but if I had the money I'd rescue that pin for you guys! Its incredible.

Unfortunately the high bidder right now looks like a collector. (And he collects some weird stuff. . .recent purchases include antique dental molds, an Ultracet snow globe, and a paper mache George Washington candy holder. People buy weird crap on ebay.)

HAHAHAHA antique dental mold.

here's my fingers crossed that a Pi Phi gets it..........

Not to worry, ladies, Tyregon did NOT get the diamond 1934 badge from CO Alpha-- I did! Unfortunately, I simply can't justify spending $1600+ for the IC badge-- wish I could-- those pins are very rare (and below in the HQ heritage collection).

I checked what those top bidders had bought recently too-- interesting stuff. Scary thought is that the high bidder yesterday on the IC badge was also buying leather bustier and gloves-- then again, my recent purchases don't necessarily say "pi phi" either.

I'm glad you got that diamond badge!!!

I looked up that stuff the highest bidder recently bought too, interesting to say the least! I wish someone from HQ could get it, well I wish really it had never ended up on Ebay!

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Holy Toledo, $5200 for the IC badge!?!

I put it on my watch list just to see where it would go. Apparently the answer is, through the ceiling, past the roof, and up into the stratosphere. Is that some kind of record for a pin that wasn't a founder's? It's hard to believe anyone could expect to resell it for more than that, so at least I think Pi Phis can have confidence that if a collector bought it, that collector apparently values it very highly and will treasure it and take very good care of it.

I second that thought-at least you know it won't be thrown away, put in a garage sale, or melted down for the gold. Oh-and you already know that there aren't descendants searching high and low for their ancestor's pin! ;-)

I missed the end of that auction.. when I last checked it was $3000+... wow... that is definitely out of my budget and certainly more than our archivist could have paid. WOW. If some collector is paying that much, they'll take care of it. Much as I'd like it to be in the hands of a Pi Phi (and resent the greed of that family member, who's relative is rolling over in her grave at the disrespect to sell her possessions on EBAY), whatever collector is willing to shell out $5200 values the heritage of a 100+ year old badge.

Here's another one...very pretty!

That one is, indeed a vintage pin (anyone here from Miami U?).

There are several ways that you can tell if a badge is truly old, and perhaps worth paying more than new badges. Until the mid 70s, the badge was engraved with either name or initials and (really old arrows have names), initiation dates or initiation numbers. My sister was initiated in 1977 and her arrow has her initiation number on it. I was initiated in 1979 and just have a random number on mine but there IS a number. If there is no number or name engraved on the back of the shaft of the arrow, then the pin is not very old. The seller should be able to tell you what, if anything is engraved there. Pins were made by Balfour until recently... so if the pins is from Masters of Design, it is NOT old enough to be worth more than what you'd pay for a new one... and becones a profit item for collectors who don't value our golden arrow for what it truly represents.

While the situation of selling pins on ebay is highly disheartening, I am very happy to see that so many people care about a piece of our history!

Since there's been talk of HQ buying up the pins and the lack of funds to do so...

I would like to take this time to remind everyone of how IMPORTANT it is to pay your dues (no matter the GLO) and remain active after graduation!

Maybe if all alumnae dues were collected (and maybe a little more from those who are able) HQ could allot more $$ for acquiring pins and other items. OR maybe if all alumnae remained active, there would be more support within local alumnae clubs to purchase the items for their officers or maybe for local collegiate chapter officers.

Just remember ... you weren't a Pi Phi... you ARE a Pi Phi.


~Susan (former Membership Chair who loved her position)

Well said, Susan! My intent with the diamond badge I purchased on ebay is to give it to CO Alpha for use as an award/ recognition. When I was a collegiate we had a ruby badge that was worn by the member with most improved GPA (you only got to wear it for a quarter) and a diamond-tip badge that was our "bride's pin"-- you wore it under your wedding dress (and someone from the chapter would retrieve it during the reception... although I know it went to the Bahamas at least once!). Anyone else have donated heritage badges in their chapters?

We also had a brides pin, one with pearls, that the girl wore for sometime after her candlelight then passed to whoever was next.

Yes, we have two. They're both honors for outstanding chapter leaders.

Each of the officers at my chapter have a special pin (except Social Chair and I think House Manager) that I assume was donated to the chapter. I remember the Secretary's pin was very old with lots of detail on the shaft and tip of the arrow, but because the crest guard was stubborn I rarely wore it. We also have a pin for highest New Member GPA.

We had a Heritage Ring that was given each quarter to the Most Active Active. We had a pin that they gave to the member with the highest GPA but several members would make a 4.0 at the same time so they started giving out the little recognition pins with a tiny ruby in the middle of the shaft.

If I don't have any Pi Phi daughters, I mean to leave my opal pin for an honor pin.

I should restate this.

Anyone who's willing to pay the over $1,000 price tag for an I.C. pin is certainly going to take care of it, and probably knows how special the pin is both to the Pi Phi sisterhood and to greeks in general. And I'm starting to realize that RESPONSIBLE pin & ritual collectors actually have a lot to add to the Greek community... it's not all about hoarding pins and giving away secrets. Having a few concientious, mature scholars out there could be a boon for us, as Greeks, as we try and establish bonds with each other and make a place for ourselves at colleges in the future -- and understand our place in the past. So, I don't really hate all collectors.

That said.... I still wish a Pi Phi could've landed it. :)

are you sure...
 

that the buyer wasnt a pi phi somehow?

Here's another one...this one has opals on it and it is gorgeous.

no........ do you know something I don't?

That one is really beautiful. I haven't seen anything like that one before.

Me neither. I tried bidding on it but to no avail. *sigh*

What I'm trying to do is get a jeweled badge for less than they cost online, but I don't know if that's gonna happen. I'm lucky enough to get to wear an IC Badge whenever I want, but I really want a jeweled badge when officer turnover happens in January!

oh cool! how do you have an IC badge? :)

Well, not a "real" IC badge. The chapter president gets to wear a replica of the IC badge (which is owned by the chapter). So I get to wear the IC badge for Virginia Theta. :)

They don't make the all-opal badges anymore and based upon the fact that the member number is engraved (but no chapter or initials), I would guess it's from the 60s-70s. Still a gorgeous badge and the picture doesn't do it justice. I've seen the opal badge and opal/emerald (neither of which are made any more) and they are soooooooo pretty. At the time I bought my sapphire/pearl badge, the all-opal one cost ~$150.

:( Why don't they make opal badges anymore? Do they restrict our jewels now? I have seen some beauties with colored stones, including a pin with all turquoise and another with all amethysts.

Seems like you could special order what you wanted.

Found another pin on Ebay.

This one's beautiful too, but not like the Opal one.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...920817491&rd=1

When the 'official jeweler' was changed to Masters of Design, the 'standard' choices of jeweled badges changed. You can special order badges with stones other than what is listed (and they are priced accordingly), or have a local custom jeweler change out another stone with whatever you want. They don't list the opal as a standard badge like they did at one time. I've never seen one with turquoise or amethyst. I bet that's pretty!

It is not that we are restricted by what we CAN put in our badges, but rather that there are fewer options than there once were for the badges that can be ordered directly. Anything else is custom.

Having a stone in the point is the other thing that makes Balfour badges different from most of the current jeweled badges.

I looked on both the Official site and the Masters of Design site and I can't find any information on customizing pins. Do you know exactly where I can find this information? I am not planning on it any time soon but I would like to know for when I have the money to. :)