Dzrose93:
“If she loves and respects Greek Life as much as she claims, then she wouldn't commit an act that goes against the wishes and written regulations of nearly every GLO in existence.”
wptw: Wrong. GLOs who actually take a position on this issue are in the minority.
Contact the National Headquarters of every national GLO and ask them if they like the fact that many of their badges are in the hands of non-members. Do you HONESTLY think that you're going to get a response back saying that they don't give a damn as to who is carrying around their badges? Please. If you really think those organizations don't care where their badges are, then you are seriously deluded. Maybe many of those organizations can't afford a badge rescue fund (although mine does), but that doesn't take away from the fact that they desire for their badges to remain in the hands of their members. I guess since the orgs can't outbid you each and every time on E-Bay, then that means that the GLOs don't deserve to have their badges back?
My problem with E-Bay badge collectors who are Greek lies in the fact that these people know better than anyone how important and symbolic badges are, yet they still bid against GLO members who are trying to save their badges.
If one of my sisters was trying to save a badge on E-Bay, and sent you an e-mail asking you to please not bid so that she could win the auction and return the badge to HQ, would you do the brotherly thing and bow to her wishes? If so, then I truly commend you, because there are many collectors who would do nothing more than send back a smartass comment in response to her request.
Dzrose93:
“As for the Greek pin collectors who say they're collecting badges in order to "save" them from being melted down... Why don't they go a step further and REALLY "save" them by returning them to their rightful owners - National Headquarters?”
wptw: You know, that is such an easy offhand “cocktail party” thing to say. Sure, everyone wants to have their cake and eat it too:
You want the badges saved from being melted down…
This has nothing to do with wanting my cake and eating it too. There's nothing I detest more than hypocrisy. There are badge collectors who hide behind the "It was going to be melted down unless I bought it" excuse. If that person is so concerned about the welfare of that badge, then why not contact the National HQ and let them know of the situation? My organization would offer to pay the cost of the badge or $50, whichever was less, in order to get that badge back in our possession. And, if it were to cost more than $50, there is a whole network of sisters who will do their best to raise the money to save it. Unfortunately, badge collectors prevent us from saving many of those badges because we just can't go as high as they do in the bidding. Do we resent them for that? You're darn right we do!
wptw: But you can’t afford to buy them all out of the ebay dealers hands…
And your HQ can’t afford to buy them all out of the ebay dealers hands…
Wrong. We can't afford to buy them out of the COLLECTORS' hands who are bidding against us. If the collectors would keep their money out of the bidding, then we would stand a MUCH better chance of rescuing badges.
wptw: And you won’t do the legwork to find the other 50% of “loose” badges that AREN’T on ebay…
Won't do the legwork to find the badges not on E-Bay? That is such an untrue statement that it's almost laughable. We have sisters who visit antique and jewelry shops, attend estate sales, and check magazines and newspapers regularly to see if badges can be located. Then, if they can't afford to buy the badges themselves, they contact our Badge Rescue Fund members to see if someone is willing to pool their funds in order to get the badges back. So, please don't assume that we aren't actively looking for our badges just because you find them before we do occasionally.
wptw: So you expect collectors to do ALL of this for you with their own time and money? This sounds like Communism!
wptw: Let me see if I’ve got the message straight:
>>>Thank you, Mr. Collector, for spending piles of your own money and scores of Saturdays to rescue pins since before I was even born. But now there’s ebay, and we’re on top of it now. Besides which you weren’t really supposed to have those pins anyway you know, and even though you’ve spent a big chunk of your life preserving and studying GLO history, really you don’t understand what it means to be a respectful greek. So could you please just donate your entire collections that you’ve worked years to build back to the HQs, where they will likely collect dust in a storage room? Thanks. We can’t afford to reimburse you or anything, but just think what great PR it will be!<<<
I'm sorry - exactly where in my post did I say that I "expect" people to find and buy back badges since GLO members and/or their National Headquarters can't afford to do so 24/7? Where in my post did I ask people to donate their entire collections back to HQ? You obviously missed (or chose to overlook) my point which is: THE BADGES SHOULDN'T BE COLLECTED BY NON-MEMBERS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
If you are Greek and believe in the mottos that we live by and the creeds that our founders wrote, then why are you actively going against the wishes of your fellow Greeks by buying up items that they DO NOT want a non-member to possess? 
Why, after people make you aware of the fact that it is written in a particular GLO's rules and regulations that badges are not to be owned or worn by non-members, do you CONTINUE to purchase these items?
The answer is that you just don't care about the wishes of other GLOs. You can preach until you're blue in the face about how much you've studied Greek history and you can tell us how you're preserving that history by buying these badges. But it doesn't change the simple fact that, by buying those badges for your own personal gratification, you are thumbing your nose at your Greek brothers and sisters.
By purchasing those badges you're basically saying, "Yeah, I know that your national policy specifically states that non-members shouldn't have your badges, but I'm different. I've read a couple of old pledge books and learned a few things about your founders. I know why you have the colors you do, and why your flower is what it is. Heck, I even have a few theories about what your sorority pin might represent. And, although I've never been inside your initiation ritual, that doesn't really matter because I'm entitled to your badge simply because I lucked up and found one for sale, had the cash available, and thought it would be nice to have it in my collection. Too bad that the little XYZ member who was bidding on E-Bay against me didn't have the funds to outbid me. Oh well, that's not my fault, is it?" 
With all that said, to be quite honest, I don't give a rat's arse what you think about my comments. You can twist my words however you like. It doesn't change the fact that many badge collectors A) fully realize that there are GLO's with written policies stating that their badges are to be possessed by initiated members ONLY and B) they simply don't give a damn about the wishes of those GLOs.
My point is a perfectly legitimate one, and I think deep down you know it.