Ebay Badges
 

OK, I know that selling badges on ebay is so bad and all that. I also notice that some sisters buy these badges and send them back to HQ. However, if one were to lose their badge, then saw one on Ebay, would that be bad to bid on it and keep it your self since you you dont have a badge? I know its cheesy, but if you could find one that was cheaper, why not? any input?
tori

now don't quote me cause i may be wrong, BUT...if it were a simple pin or even a cute one with pearls i'd prolly keep it. for crying out loud some of those pins get expensive just to turn over to IHQ. HOWEVER...if it were like that pin with the honors of EP attached to it, i'd turn the HOEP and the badge over to IHQ just outta respect for the woman who could earn an honor like that.

marissa

I've gotta' agree with Marissa on this one. If it's just a simple pin that you can get cheaper then by all means buy it and keep it. If it has honors, I would either not buy it or turn it over to IHQ. (Just my opinion though)

LIEP
Jen

I saw this posted on www.alphagam.net

"Not that I am suggesting that xxxica was shopping for badges, I wanted to share with you all a response I got from Betsy Helber, Vendor Marketing Manager at IHQ, when I sent an email asking about badges being sold on eBay. My words are in " " and her answers are not.

This is an FYI only.

______________________________


"Tonight, I noticed that there are two AGD badges up for auction on ebay. I was tempted to bid on the pearl one, then return my 10K plain one to IHQ . While it isn't legit for these badges to be for sale in the first place, is it okay for sisters to get the badges "off the market" and back into proper hands?"

You may bid on a Badge, however it is against Fraternity policy for any member to sell her Badge(s). You hold a life hold lease on your Badge and upon entering Chapter Grand you are either buried with it, or it is to be returned to International Headquarters.

Should you be the winning bidder, it is your right to purchase the Badge. However as a member you should follow the guidelines outlined above in regard to the life hold lease.

"Can I exchange mine for the one for sale?"

No, we do not exchange Badges. You may lease as many Badges as you would like. You may not sell any of your Badges. Again, upon entering Chapter Grand all of your Badges should be returned to International Headquarters with the exception of if you decide to be buried with one.

"What should sisters do if they see a badge for sale?"

Notify International Headquarters. We have a letter we send to E-Bay requesting that the auction be shut down.

Advice from IHQ
 

I am so glad that you shared that with us, Lynn!
I am glad to see that IHQ sends out a letter to E-bay and
it is interesting that they think that you should keep all of the badges that you are "borrowing".
I wonder what they would say, if you let a "new" sister use
the first badge that you got if you have multiple badges.

Re: Advice from IHQ
 

Jeannine, I was about to say the same thing! The more "extra" badges a member has, the more likely they are to pop up on ebay if that member suddenly has an issue with her chapter.

If by "new" sister, you mean a new initiate, I'm sure the chapter could just order one badge less from their badge order.

Aloha GreekChat Gang!

What a great discussion... and I'm so glad to see everyone concerned about their badges and the badges that appear on ebay! It truly is a sad thing to see such a cherished symbol of our Fraternity for sale to the public... especially when they come attached to special honors. It's hard to prevent sisters from dumping their own unwanted badges when they develop "issues" with Alpha Gam. However, keeping in the positive... we can prevent our own precious badges from ending up in estate sales and on ebay by taking the time out to familiarize our loved ones with our Fraternity policy and our wishes.... bury me with it or send it back! Encourage your sisters to do the same!

Being the crazy Alpha Gam that I am... my family is well aware of what I want done with my badge... and I plan to leave them further instructions for all the other Alpha Gam stuff I'm managed to "collect." No estate sales for my stuff. They'll be donated to fellow sisters that will appreciate them as much as I did :)

As for current sisters purchasing badges off of ebay for their own use... good for you! Few things make me happier than knowing these badges are out of the hands of collectors or non-members and are in new homes with loving sisters. I recently passed on to Sandy one of my ebay rescues. If I'm not mistaken, she is now wearing the pearl badge of a sister initiated back in 1946? Can you think of a more loving sister than our dear oohteenywahine?

Aloha loyally,
Mai Ly

By the way....
 

By the way... is anyone in this forum the owner of the ebay handle bwg? If so, speak up... because I see that yet another ebay badge with an ARC is up for bid... bwg is the high bidder... and if bwg isn't one of us, he/she is about to be outbid.

Aloha,
Mai Ly

I wrote to the seller of the badge with the Arc attached to it. I told them that was the property of AGD. No reply from them yet.

bwg IS a collector. i e-mailed the individual and pointed out that the arc is important to alpha gams. i also told him (don't hate on me here) that while the badge is EXTREMELY important to us, i'm not going to empty my piddly bank account fighting him. what i did request was that we try to work out some kind of agreement on a swap/trade/straight up purchase of the arc if they won the bidding. not sure what you guys think of that. but if they want that pin, they're gonna try to get it. i definetely would like to see the arc back at IHQ though.

ah well.
marissa:confused:

Has anyone contacted IHQ about this badge yet?

Thanks. I thought that handle looked familiar, but I couldn't remember if it was on the Fellow Alpha Gam list or Evil Collector List. Perhaps I really should make lists... who would think that turning 30 would bring on this many senior moments :)

Marissa... did bwg reply? You're right. It is frustrating paying all this money for these badges. Especially since they shouldn't be up there anyway. Delta Zeta gives a $50 reimbursement to their members for each badge rescued and turned in to their headquarters. Their online group called the "Surfing Sisters" have teamed up to get badges off of ebay. They begin with a polite note explaining how the badge is Fraternity property, etc. and if they get a nasty reply (which according to my DZ buddy happens quite often) they flood the seller with e-mails from all over... sort of a protest. They have also created a Badge Rescue Fund to help buffer the costs when they have to bid against collectors/non-members.

Leslie... i just e-mailed Penny (IVPA.) She is usually watching, and knows about them already... but just in case... I sent her a heads up.

Aloha loyally,
Mai Ly

Wow, I wish AGD had a group like the DZ's :) That sounds like a good system :)

Ironically, I lost my badge the semester after I became an alum. I was a bit bummed because I wasn't sure if I was going to have a badge in time for our 10th Anniversary. Luckily, there are angels like Mai to the rescue.

I proudly wore a Badge that once belonged to Martha Propst Ash, a 1946 initiate of the Gamma Delta chapter at Alabama Polytechnic. I did a search on IHQ's Member Services, and sadly, she has entered Chapter Grand. I feel like there's so much history to it...and I am definitely honored to be wearing her Badge.

Three days ago I ordered an alum pendant...so I'm looking forward to wearing that too!

no reply from bwg yet. that doesn't suprise me though. i'll just keep e-mailing.

marissa

I've never heard of an alum pendant! Where do you order them? I'm turning alum this April too!

Jen,

If you go to our website, there is a link to our official jeweler, Burr Patterson Auld. The alumnae pendants are for sale there. There are 2 kinds, if I remember correctly: a solid disk and a circular one that hangs your badge in the middle. I haven't described them very well, but if you go to the site, you'll see what I mean!

I'm trying to decide whether to get a pendant or not. I usually either way my badge the traditional way (when I'm at an AGD function) or I wear it on a lapel.

bwg IS a member
 

ahhhhhh...i'm sooooooo freaking sorry. bwg is a member of alpha gam. she only bids on alpha gam pins, and usually, only the important ones (like arc ones) my mistake! here's the e-mail i recieved from her today.


"Yes, you e-mailed me before about whether or not I was an Alpha gam and yes
I am still an Alpha Gam and yes I understand what the Arc of Epsilon Pi
means. I am very good friends with a sister who has earned 2 arc w/ diamonds
and pearl for her years serving on the International Council and for local
Alpha Gam service.I,myself hope to be nominated for one next Convention,
when I will have served seven years. I understand your concern about
non-members bidding on badges but after seeing so many actual Alpha Gams put
badges up for sale on e-bay(which I rank right up there w/ blasphemy) and
after talking with our own Grand President Suzanne Spicer, who has tried to
get e-bay to stop but without success, I just sort of decided what is the
use. When I see a badge I really want I go after it. For awhile I bid on all
badges but you can't afford all of them. I am looking for an older badge to
wear and hope to pass it down through my family. I have in the past notified
international about my ownership of other badges, but they really don't keep
up with them like they should and many are in circulation. Anyway that is my
soapox. I do plan to bid on this badge and rest assured it will be purchased
by an Alpha Gam if I can help it.Thanks for your concern.

LIEP,
Donya M. Gillespie, TE"



liep,
marissa

Well, Marissa, its good to know that at least *this* badge will be saved. Thanks for sharing that with us. :)

Thanks Marissa! Glad to hear she's one of us :)

Roses to Donya!!! (Did you tell her about joining us on GC?

As for the alumna pendant. I have the open one. Others that I have talked with that had the disc weren't too thrilled with it. It does have the option of taking the badge, ((I assume, I haven't)).

Honestly, I still prefer the "over the heart", but this is definitely more practical and easier to find when in a rush.

ok girls
 

Ok, as I said earlier, I am going to try to get a badge on ebay, of course I am not going to try for the arc ones, but If you guys see the ebay Handle DamnGam thats me, I lost mine, and yes if I do find it, I will send it to HQ, or to my new grandkid, if she doesnt have one yet!!! So please, dont think I am horrible collector and try to outbid me!
;)
:D
tori