eBay story

queequek · #1 06-01-2002, 02:47 AM

Just a thought that I need to share this ...

Ebay just sold one of the rarest pin from our Charge, supposely owned by one of our founder (back in 1847). I tried to bid on it, but since it reached $2,500 I had to stop. I was mad, so were some of brothers.

The winner turned out to be one of brothers from UVA'65. It was a huge relief!

I really HATE these pin deals from eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2106536759

greeklawgirl · #2 06-01-2002, 11:14 AM

I know that we all feel terrible whenever one of our badges is up for auction on Ebay, but this is truly outrageous! That badge is a living piece of history for your Fraternity!!! I would be foaming at the mouth if I found one of my Founder's badges on Ebay.

I'm glad one of your brothers won the auction. I hope that it eventually goes back to your Headquarters, where it should held in posterity for ALL the brothers to see.

AlphaGam1019 · #3 06-01-2002, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by queequek
Just a thought that I need to share this ...
I tried to bid on it, but since it reached $2,500 I had to stop.

Geez, that is some serious cash!

ZTAngel · #4 06-01-2002, 01:43 PM

Thankfully, it went back to a brother.
I'm just wondering how this ebay seller was able to get ahold of a pin like that.

KappaStargirl · #5 06-01-2002, 01:48 PM

This happened with Kappa too. I heard a story from our Fraternity Historian about a very old badge on Ebay. It was maybe around $300??? and the price kept going up. One of our badge rescuers, just to see what would happen, bid $2500. She was winning for a while, until that skidmarks guy that's been talked about before outbid her. He then proceeded to email her and say "ha ha, look how high you'll have to go now." As we all know, he's somewhat lacking in the manners department. Anyway, you know what they say, she who laughs last laughs loudest. She basically said "What's $3000 compared to preserving the history of a tradition more than 130 years old?" and outbid him. And she won.

Tom Earp · #6 06-01-2002, 04:19 PM

It truely is sad at some of the pricing that goes on onsome of the Badges! I too hate it but really ran out of cash to buy some!

But the best thought is that a Brother got your Badge!

I keep in touch with some of teh Brothers that bid for our LXA Badges and we do not bid against each other so to keep the price from getting stupid!

There are some collectors such I think wptw who has been on site and collects for his own benefit, not to gouge others! One of my own Brothers collects Badges and when he gets them all, he will donate to his Chapter! I sure that would be an awesome presentation.
I would like my Chapter to have that alos but cannot afford it so they will have to put up with the Lacal Badge i designed and Pledge Button, TKN Badge ( thye merged with LXA in 1939 ), and my original Badge!

A good collector is someone who appreciates beautiful things and shares with others.

TaraHopeful · #7 06-02-2002, 08:46 PM

Are you sure it was one of the founders' badges and not a fake one or another member's badge? Either way, I'd be pissed but maybe this reject ebay seller is just fibbing. Just a thought to ponder.

#8 06-02-2002, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TaraHopeful
Are you sure it was one of the founders' badges and not a fake one or another member's badge? Either way, I'd be pissed but maybe this reject ebay seller is just fibbing. Just a thought to ponder.

I know Alpha Gam used to do this, and I'm not sure about other GLOs, but on the back of some of the older badges is the member's name, chapter, and initiation date. I've also seen members' membership numbers inscribed.

In the case of the Theta Delta Chi badge, the Founder's name is clearly listed on the back of the badge.

I'm positive that a GLO's I/NHQ would put up red flags if a badge were fraudulently listed on eBay.

ZZ-kai- · #9 06-02-2002, 11:33 PM

I too would question the validity of that badge. For being 155 years old, that badge is in mint condition. Did they even engrave that well back then, I don't think so??!!??

It probably isn't that hard to order a badge with anything on it...1847, John Doe, Union College...etc.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:

Originally posted by TaraHopeful
Are you sure it was one of the founders' badges and not a fake one or another member's badge? Either way, I'd be pissed but maybe this reject ebay seller is just fibbing. Just a thought to ponder.

greeklawgirl · #10 06-02-2002, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ZZ-kai-
It probably isn't that hard to order a badge with anything on it...1847, John Doe, Union College...etc.

If that were true, the brother could probably get his money back. To me, that would be a gross misrepresentation of the item for auction. You might have an argument for fraud.

Either way, the brother can easily get the badge inspected to determine its true age...and he can act accordingly from there.

KappaStargirl · #11 06-02-2002, 11:58 PM

I don't know how it works with other orgs, but Kappa keeps records of all our initiates and a history of how badges were marked. Our Fraternity Historian (who, for the record, is an absolutely incredible woman) is a badge rescuer, and my guess is that she does a check on the name and initiation date to determine its authenticity. If it's real, she'll bid. Perhaps other groups do the same thing?

#12 06-03-2002, 12:22 AM

There was a time about a year ago, within our online alumnae chapter where we were constantly trying to rescue badges (no matter the age). I think the "auction word" got out, and the minimum bids started going up from 4.99 to 75.00, and the badges would sell for over 150.00 at times. There was a lot of conversation on our online chapter about if we were driving up the prices, and possibly there was someone out there just driving up the prices to spite us. I think that person eventually got tired of bidding on DZ badges, and the frenzy has slowly died down, but you can still find 2-3 DZ badges on ebay any day of the week.

We, as a group, have "rescued" some pretty significantly old badges, and even a badge that we later found out was stolen after we found the real owners (our names and/or initials, date and chapter are on the backs). There were some sisters who made it their mission in life to make the seller's day REALLY bad with "how dare you" emails about selling private property, etc., which only led to the sisters getting reported to ebay.

We have essentially become putty in the seller's hands these days because there are sisters out there who would shell out hundreds to save and return badges (and as we found out, end up in a box in a vault at HQ). Although it's an exception to find a Founders' Badge on ebay (and congrats for getting it back!!), I no longer rescue badges now that the tables have turned on us, the buyers.

It's sad that we are being forced to buy back items because of mistakes of sisters (not tellling someone to return it to HQ or be buried with it), carelessness, accidental loss, or theft. I equate it to like losing a wallet. If you found it, wouldn't YOU return it to the owner if you found it on the street? Our badge is as resourceful a piece of identification as if it were your driver's license. All they have to do is call our HQ, and we would know right away who they were. I guess sometimes to the sellers it's all about the benjamines.

Tracy

queequek · #13 06-03-2002, 03:47 AM

It might be a fraud badge .. I don't know. It looks old (in this case, old design) and William Hyslop is one of our founding fathers, all right.
This is the first time I see the design of the pin - it is different with one we used to have (with pearls on it, circa 1920s), and the one we're currently have (plain).

HBADPi · #14 06-04-2002, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KappaStargirl
This happened with Kappa too. I heard a story from our Fraternity Historian about a very old badge on Ebay. It was maybe around $300??? and the price kept going up. One of our badge rescuers, just to see what would happen, bid $2500. She was winning for a while, until that skidmarks guy that's been talked about before outbid her. He then proceeded to email her and say "ha ha, look how high you'll have to go now." As we all know, he's somewhat lacking in the manners department. Anyway, you know what they say, she who laughs last laughs loudest. She basically said "What's $3000 compared to preserving the history of a tradition more than 130 years old?" and outbid him. And she won.

Speaking of this skid guy I just thought you all would like to see the email he sent to one of my sisters when she emailed him to enquire whether or not he was going to sell this pin to the sorority.
Now that you ask, it was my full intent to insult your organization.
Adelphian, Alpha Delta Phi, Alpha Delta Pi... can't you women make up your
mind? Geez. Pick a name.

2 points to be made.

1. I offered it to one of your national officers before listing it on Ebay.
She was not able to make a deal for it (offered for far less that what I
will make on both Alpha Delta whatever you are called this century pins I am
selling).

2. IF the pin belonged to your organization, why do I have it with a
reciept for purchasing it from a scrap gold dealer? If I had not bought
these pins they would be large Mercedes-Benz symbols hanging on some persons
neck by now. You need to police your own organization better. If you
consider the pin the property of the group then you had better improve the
organization and the recruiting to get people with a better sense of what it
mean to be a member. They should have a note in thier will requesting the
pins be returned or buried with them. They should send the pin to the
undergrad chapter to be recycled and loved by a new member. Not sold for
scrap by your trailer trash decendents as these obviously were.

Seems like an internal problem to me. Take of your own house before coming
after my property.

Cheers,

Skid

PS I only put the "buy it now" amount up for some stupid sorority chick to
use. Usually one comes along and can't stand the thought of some pig like
me owning a cherished item of thier group and buys it. Works like a charm.
I make a fortune of these fools.

If you ahve a snese of humor, smile. If not. PACK SAND.

He sounds like a disgusting man who needs to find something better to do with his time than to spend money on other GLO pinss when he probably was never in a frat himself. Beware of the asshole.

queequek · #15 06-11-2002, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HBADPi

If you ahve a snese of humor, smile. If not. PACK SAND.

Geez, he's really rude ... some people don't have brain and heart out there