GLO stuff on e-Bay & what one GLO is doing about it
 

Hi Everyone,
I know this has been addressed before on this board, but I just wanted to post something that I saw on the website of Pi Beta Phi (or "Pi Phi" for short)
Pi Beta Phi is an NPC sorority.
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"Badge Alert!
Have you seen Pi Phi badges for sale in antique stores, at estate sales or on the Internet? They may be lost, stolen or a family member may not have been aware of the proper disposition of the badge.
According to the Constitution and Statutes, "upon the death of its owner, a badge may be buried with its owner, bequeathed to a member of the Fraternity or to a collegiate chapter or alumnae club to be used as an honor badge or sent to Central Office for such disposition as directed by Grand Council."
Please note that the Pi Beta Phi archivist regularly looks for items on Internet auction sites. Should you see the id "piphiarchivist" please know the item is one Pi Phi would like to have for its archives. Central Office has previously owned badges for sale to members and in the future will feature them in the Marketplace."
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I think it is commendable that one GLO has taken action to preserve the integrity of their badges, etc.

Thanks for letting me know that Pi Phi is doing this. I recently bought another Pi Phi pin because it was listed under "arrow pin", not Pi Phi, and I was afraid other Pi Phis wouldn't see it. The guy selling it didn't even know it was Greek!

There are pin collectors out there who will battle to the death with each other for unusual pins--especially, it seems, for those that are heavily jeweled or that have unusual jewels: emeralds, opals, and sapphires, for instance.

Alpha Omicron Pi also has a statement on their position regarding the selling and purhcasing of AOII items. It states that in order to preserve the integrity of AOII, "Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity strongly requests that all initiated members refrain from selling and purchasing any AOII paraphernalia (including badges*) at auctions including on-line auction houses such as eBay), antique shops, flea markets, and the like. Our membership in AOII is a privilege that should not be sold for any one member’s financial gain." Similarly, our members purchase a "life leasehold" on a badge, and they are returned to HQ at the time of the member's death unless the Executive Board determines otherwise.

carnation,
There is a Pi Phi pin on eBay now! I thought I should let you know.

It is Item #518668571

That is something that drives me nuts about some of these auctions. The people selling them don't know how to spell Greek letters, whether it's a fraternity or sorority, or like carnation said even if it's Greek! If you're going to sell something like that get a clue!!

I don't even go there anymore cause I get too @#%*ed off. One of my org's pins was up one day and I sent a "I am a member and this is sentimental, can you please bow out" e-mail to the person who was bidding on it. She wrote back "IF you are a member, you can get a pin from your nationals. If I have it it will be in good hands." She was Greek, by the way. I know there was no way to tell who I was, but why would a Greek person (who knows the importance) want to buy another org's pin? Grrrrrrr.

Thank you for posting this! I really like the way your sorority is handling this issue -- very practical solution.

I can't speak for other Greek organizations, when I pass on it is to willed to the house and to be given either to our president or to the outstandng Associate memember as he turns active. This is to be held in trust by that individual for one year until the next deserved Brother inherits it. It cost me a lot not only in money but the time, toil, and love that I have for my badge and that I still wear with honor.

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

Kudos to Pi Phi for a pro-active and positive solution to this issue!

33girl - I think that what happened to you in that situation is http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif ... the other "Greek" bidder should definitely have conceded the auction, IMHO. I know that lots of the pin collectors who buy badges off eBay are Greek, and most of them are very gracious when they have the opportunity to let a chapter's memorabilia or badges return to the chapter. You just ran into a bad seed!!

I just had a thought... please give me your feedback!!!!

My business partner and I (both NPC alumnae) are on eBay quite often, as we auction NEW Greek merchandise there. We see pin auctions and other "antique" or historical Greek items all the time. Would anyone be interested in receiving an e-mail when we run across auctions for their org.s paraphernalia? Most of what we see is badges, but there are also lots of auctions for pledge manuals, chapter history books, song books, etc.

Usually the best way to find your org.s' stuff on eBay is to search by the chapter name, but as carnation pointed out, often people don't realize what they have or who it belongs to or what the Greek letters are.