Those darn pin collectors on e bay again!!!

rosejoy · #1 08-22-2003, 05:04 PM

I am in the process of trying to rescue an AOpi pin on e bay. The other bidders are collectors. I sent one person a message asking if they were an AOPi and they responded "sorry...wrong sex" I know he is a collector. This burns me up.

I lost my own pin last year and have since been awaiting its appearance on e bay.

How do you all feel about these collectors snatching up all the pins and selling them for big bucks? I guess that is a stupid question. I am sure they do not know it should be returned to nationals but...

There must be a lot of people who collect GLO pins!

MoxieGrrl · #2 08-22-2003, 05:26 PM

I'm not into e-bay, but I read these threads and think.....Why are these pin collectors snapping them up? Not that all of our pins aren't gorgeous or anything, but if you weren't in a GLO....Yes, you can resell them to members of that org, but not without 1,000 questions regarding how you came upon it. *shaking head*

Don't worry, rosejoy. You'll get a pin.

rosejoy · #3 08-22-2003, 05:37 PM

Thanks Moxie!!! My Mom has said she'll get me a new pin for Christmas from the AOpi Emporium, but I am still sad about ever losing my first one.

The pins are all gorgeous from GLO's and I can see the fascination....it just hurts my heart that I have to bid against someone who was not in the org.

Another AOPi on GC did inform me she had a nice experience with a pin collector who was a GLO member. At least he was nice to her and understood the significance of the pins!!!

SmartBlondeGPhB · #4 08-22-2003, 05:46 PM

Just to add to the "nice collector" line......

Just this week we had an ebay seller agree to end the auction early for one of our pins that he/she was selling and sell it to the original owner whom we had found. She had lost it in college (fairly recently) and our Badge Task Force managed to track her down through her mother.

rosejoy · #5 08-22-2003, 05:52 PM

That is nice...it is a shame though that she had to buy her own pin back. Surely the collector was not the one who found it. He or she probably had paid someone for it. It would be nice in a n ideal (ha yah right) situation that if someone found the pin they would allow the original owner (if proven) to just pay shipping.

I know that is idealized and unrealistic, but...just dreaming up a real nice collector scenario.

Optimist Prime · #6 08-23-2003, 03:34 PM

Pin colectors should be given a black eye by Clement, my new one eyed pet gopher.

Tom Earp · #7 08-23-2003, 04:34 PM

Really dont want to get into this.

But, while We may not like it, it is a fact! I have saved over 3 dozen Badges off of ebay! Trying to sell them to Brothers at Cheaper than from HDQ! Da, no body wants them!

So what do I do with @ 2,000.00 worth of Badges.?

Some are very old and some have more gems in them than the basic Pearl Badge!

Now, you tell me!

I have a Brother Who is a Collector who will have a Collage made to Present Badges to his Chapter from as many Greek Organizations as possible!

I dont like it either, but it is a fact of life!

AOIIalum · #8 08-23-2003, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rosejoy
That is nice...it is a shame though that she had to buy her own pin back. Surely the collector was not the one who found it. He or she probably had paid someone for it. It would be nice in a n ideal (ha yah right) situation that if someone found the pin they would allow the original owner (if proven) to just pay shipping.

It is a shame, but we can always hope that whatever price she paid for it was the same as what the seller paid for it.

I recall reading somewhere (maybe AOII, maybe Kappa, maybe Gamma Phi, I can't recall but it was a sorority) that if you lost your badge to file a police report. Apparently, having the police report can make your life easier if your badge eventually shows up on eBay or another auction type site. If anyone can share any more about this, please do!

EEKappa · #9 08-24-2003, 12:12 PM

I apologize... I attempted to reply to this thread, and inadvertently started a new thread instead. *smacks self on forehead*

The new thread is:
http://forums.greekchat.com/gcforums...threadid=38379

rosejoy · #10 08-24-2003, 12:40 PM

One other bidder turns out to have a daughter who is an AOPi at UGA. He is giving the pins to her for birthdays, etc. At least I feel a little better.

SmartBlondeGPhB · #11 08-24-2003, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AOIIalum
I recall reading somewhere (maybe AOII, maybe Kappa, maybe Gamma Phi, I can't recall but it was a sorority) that if you lost your badge to file a police report. Apparently, having the police report can make your life easier if your badge eventually shows up on eBay or another auction type site. If anyone can share any more about this, please do!

Yes, this is true. A police report is the only way you will be able to prove it was stolen. The original owner will probably still have to pay whatever the seller paid for the item.

Tom, our Foundation allows us to donate badges of "historical significance" to our museum and claim a tax write off. That's great that you've managed to get that many, our Task Force constantly gets out bid.

ASUADPi · #12 08-24-2003, 12:56 PM

As I said in another thread, what I don't understand is why people are aren't greek, who have no family that is greek, insist on collecting pins and then try to out bid someone who is greek and trying to save their GLO's pin.

I understand that some are collectors, but when they see someone from the GLO bidding on the pin, give it back to them.

It makes me wonder are these people bitter that they were passed up for greek life so now they bid on pins. They will never be able to wear them. They don't understand the importance or the significance in our pins.

Sorry, just had all these thoughts going through my brain. I just wish I could understand.

Brianna
Alpha Delta Pi

IvySpice · #13 08-24-2003, 01:21 PM

I don't understand why a GLO would spend its extra money on rescuing non-historically significant pins rather than donating the money to its philanthropy or contributing to a scholarship fund for needy members. Nor do I understand why it bothers people if a non-stolen pin ends up in the display case of a collector who admires the physical and conceptual beauty of Greek life in America. How are the ideals of the GLO damaged by this preservation of a symbol?

Both the GLO AND the collector have a right to spend their money how they wish. I simply don't understand anybody getting upset about any of this.

Ivy

KappaKittyCat · #14 08-24-2003, 01:50 PM

Quote:

I don't understand why a GLO would spend its extra money on rescuing non-historically significant pins rather than donating the money to its philanthropy or contributing to a scholarship fund for needy members.

Y'know, I kind of agree with this. I can see if they're historically significant, but just the generic badge? For Kappa it costs $46, which is probably much less than you'd pay on eBay. I understand if it's YOUR badge, or your mom's, or your big sis's, but...

Kappa's "Keepers of the Key" are operating independently from the Fraternity. They work with the Fraternity to establish measures for protecting badges, e.g. creating the badge disposition form, raising awareness about filing police reports, etc., but the Fraternity does not contribute financially to the rescuing of badges.

And it's also worth reminding that the huge, public badge rescue efforts are what have driven up the cost of eBay badges in the first place.

Quote:

Nor do I understand why it bothers people if a non-stolen pin ends up in the display case of a collector who admires the physical and conceptual beauty of Greek life in America. How are the ideals of the GLO damaged by this preservation of a symbol?

I think the biggest problem, IvySpice, is not the collectors who wish to preserve the symbol. It's the not-so-nice collectors who seem bound and determined to keep our badges OUT of our hands: those who refuse to disclose the badge owner information engraved on the back; those who block bids from known GLO members, and those who make the prices prohibitive when they know that GLO members are there.

ASUADPi · #15 08-24-2003, 02:01 PM

wow your badge is pretty cheap at $46, but then again if I paid $46 for a pin, I guess I wouldn't be so upset if it ended up on Ebay. But I didn't pay that for my pin and new members don't pay that for their pins, I won't give exact numbers, but we pay more.

It doesn't upset me that collectors want to admire our pins, it does when someone, like you mentioned, purposely won't let a GLO person bid or recieve the item. I have a problem with that.

But then again, I'm a emotional person. My sorority means a lot to mee (not to say that yours doesn't too you) but I just don't feel that non members should have our pins. This could just be me and how I feel and that's totally fine.

Brianna
Alpha Delta Pi