Badge with opals!
 

It's got to be one of the most gorgeous little things I've ever seen.

Too bad I don't have an extra $400 lying around...:p

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=11145

OH MY!!!!!
 

that is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i would fall over for that badge, but i definately don't have $400 dollars. i am scared to see how high that goes because there are still 5 days left!!!!

tried
 

That badge is BEAUTIFUL!!! My mom tried to get it, but so far has been outbid by Ms. Lucypm, bless her heart. She just seems to outbid us on everything that's beautiful like that!! A little frustrating, but at least she's a sister...

Tara
I have a Phi Mu castle...

Just a thought, does lucypm (who's true identity I do not know) bid on phi mu stuff because she collects it or does she bid so that it stays in Phi Mu? If it is the latter, does she realize that she sometimes outbids sisters? It seems a little uncoordinated and inefficient if we have sisters outbidding each other and raising the price in order to keep a badge in Phi Mu.

Sorry to crash...but that badge is absolutly stunning! Sorry, just thought I'd tell ya'll that (like you didn't know it...)

Im emailed Lucypm on occasion i forgot her real name...she collects ALOT of phi mu stuff...i looked at her feedback once and it shows alot of what she bought..some VERY interesting historical artifacts of Phi Mu.
She had told me that she does it to keep it in Phi Mu...but I am sure that if you wanted that badge and emailed her she would let you high bid, she already has bought sooo many badges.

I would LOVEEEE an opal badge, since its my birthstone...but they do not make them anymore so i have to wait til i graduate and have a big people job and hopefully one will turn up somewhere...

but that badge is GORGEOUS!!!!

she send the items to phi mu from what i understand. if you email her to let her know that you really want an item, she will not keep bidding (unless it falls into the hands of an non phi mu).

the listserve that i am on has made a list of sisters and their ebay names. i think that might be something that we should have on the national site in the private side. sisters can post their names. what do you all think?

I think thats an awesome idea!!
who could we email maybe someone in charge of the private side to get that started...
:) pinkyphimu you are brilliant!!

Hmm...

Does the Phi Mu History Book have pictures of all the different kinds of badges and when they were made? I wish we had information online about it...I don't even *remember* all the options we had, since I could only afford the student badge.

Maybe I should start a badge history project...

I think putting that on the Private Side would be great! I've emailed her before when we're bidding on same items. She was very nice, but she consistantly outbids others with Phi Mu in their names (though that doesn't always mean they're Phi Mus, since there are some crazies out there) so I get frustrated. I do know she says she returns them to Nationals or gives them to sisters who have lost badges, which is noble of her. I just wish I had 400 to blow on a badge just to pass it along to another sister! I'd be, like, Mother Theresa in a sister's eyes!!!!

Tara
i have a Phi Mu castle...

LOL how does a sister apply for one of these badge lost lucypm badge fund...also know as the "gimme a pretty badge fund... "???

i wish i was the lucky reciver of a badge like that... yeah if i had 400 to blow and just give away to a sister i hardly know id be the phi mu badge fairy (similar to the tooth fairy) who flew around to phi mu's at night and when they woke up..if they held phi mu in thier heart and no phi mu badge they would be given one :)


but in all seriousness how does she decide who to give them too??? they should interview her for the aglaia... might be interesting to focus on all the things she has bought :)

LOL

I agree! It sounds a little far fetched, especially since she bids on most of the most beautiful and antique items. I really don't know how she decides who gets what. I'd love to sign up on a list though! ;) In all seriousness, if this is what she's genuinely doing with her finds, then she really should be interviewed or something so she could have recognition for her generosity! Didn't someone say they knew her? Perhaps they could get in touch with her or contact Nationals on her behalf...

Tara
i have a Phi Mu castle...

There was something in my Phi manual about different badges, sort of tracing how the basic design had evolved in the last 150 years. But I don't know where you'd find something showing all the pretty variations.

i think i am going to email someone about adding the ebay names to the p.s. i think there was a post not too long ago about who to contact if you had suggestions.

daoine- i think that it would be awesome to have the badges online! i am so jealous that some of the other glos can view theirs on the web!!!! plus, who knows, the options could have changed since we went through! i totally understand not being able to purchase online, but i think we should be able to admire them!

this made me giggle!!! can you imagine waking up in the morning with an opal and saphire badge???????

can i just tell you how much i love the idea of an ebay list? especially since the one i use belongs to my hubby and i've been outbid because it in no way reflects anyone who could possibly be a sister...lol

Okie. :) It will have to wait a few days while I update the Boston Alum site (almost done -- just the friggin' photo album) and then I'll start up some research!

Hi, I'm Lucypm on Ebay.

This was an interesting thread to read. It was especially interesting because I have made a decision to stop bidding on badges for the very reasons you see listed here- I am constantly bombarded with requests for badges, and for the record, I gift any older badge to the national archives. The others I give to women who are collegiate chapter presidents, have lost a badge or who I know have made outstanding contributions to our collective sisterhood.
For the record I am not a badge fairy.

I even get requests via non ebay to buy women's badges. This is particularly offensive, although I have purchased them to keep them off of Ebay. I will no longer do that as I feel women who wish to sell their badges should take them to the open market from now on- anything less feels like extortion.

I was going to buy this opal badge for posterity ladies. I was going to preserve it via donation to Foundation for everyone to enjoy for years to come. But I think that the woman bidding against me on this and many other Phi Mu items is making that impossible, so I have decided to stop the madness and cease bidding, which also means I no longer gift badges to women who ask. It also means that someone's mother wins what should be present to everyone- in our archives. But Ebay is an open maretplace, therefore high bidder wins - fair is fair.

So PhiMunursie and her mother are welcome (and surely relieved) to bid on anything else that comes up on Ebay. I have decided to spend my money on something that truly matters- saving a chapter in distress. She and her mother can comfortably collect our artifacts on a personal level to their hearts content. I will no longer be bidding (or gifting).

By the way PhiMuNursie- I suggested to your mother once that she should pursue Alumnae initiation. Should you wish to find out more about that, please feel free to pm me and I can give you the details.

phimuantique, i've pmed you. if you haven't figured out that feature yet, just post on here and i'll explain it. it's more discreet and personal for individualized messages. ;)

Tara
i have a Phi Mu castle...

on second thought
 

I decided that since we were having a discussion about a sister who is now on our boards, and talking openly about Lucypm when she wasn't here, then why should I keep my post private now?

Anyway, basically I feel as though as long as a badge is out of a non Phi Mus hands then whatever we chose to do with badges is essentially our business. Contrary to some beliefs we are not hoarding Phi Mu badges and keeping them from our sisters. If I see a beautiful badge then we bid on it. It's the entire purpose of ebay. While I don't have 500 dollars to spend on a badge to pass along to another sister, though I wish I did, I keep the badges safe for myself and wear them to chapter events and weddings and such. I pretty much feel that is what about 99% of us would do with a beautiful, expensive badge and is not dishonorable in the slightest.

I appreciate what Lucypm is doing with her antiqued Phi Mu finds, with the archives and gifting. What a great asset to our Fraternity. But the idea of helping out distressed chapters is wonderful. If there's struggling chapters that money would go toward then badges are pretty minute on the priority list of who to save (chapter or badge). Anyway, how ever alumnae help out with the Fraternity, be it time or money, is always needed and appreciated, so instead of bickering on here about something so absurd as to what my mother and I do with our badges we get off ebay, I'm going to get started on my Recruitment materials. It's only a few months away....;)

Tara
I have a Phi Mu castle...

I agree, Ebay is an open market place and anyone can win anything if the price is right. What you choose to do with your purchases is entirely up to you, and it is nobody's concern but yours.
The same is true for me. I was simply putting the speculation to rest about the questions posted by you and others on the thread.The questions came up as to why and how I was making decisions about buying and gifting items, now you know the answers.

End of discussion, at least from my point of view.