[wptw]

To respond to your edit... I didn't say they are removing the engraving for spite. They're doing it because they think it exposes them to less "harassment". You'll notice a lot of dealers on ebay no longer show the back of badges (not just KKG), or give out the member info. Removing the engraving is just a more extreme form of this phenomenon.

It's really the dealers who are annoyed with KotK, not so much the collectors. I mean, the collectors aren't happy that someone infiltrated their event by questionable (some might even say unscrupulous) means, but I don't think there's a big grudge or a spite thing there.

KotK is doing what it needs to do to rescue the badges, even if it means a white lie here and there. I have no problem with that. And the dealers are taking steps to protect their businesses. I have no problem with that either. The end justifies the means. I suppose "unscrupulous" is in the eye of the beholder.

wptw

Edited to add: The existence of Tyoregon complicates this whole discussion. I know his methods have indeed been spiteful and malicious (he admits as much) in response to what he perceives as the same from KotK. He's not a dealer. And although he obviously collects, none of the collectors really consider him a part of the collector community. He's kind of in a category all by himself. I would just encourage you not to lump him in with the collector community, because he's pretty atypical.