Selling Badges on Ebay?!

PandaPi · #1 06-01-2008, 11:18 PM

So I'm on Ebay right now seeing what kind of interesting AOII stuff there is and sure enough I found a badge!

Aren't badges AOII property on loan to us until our deaths? I mean, is it right to sell our single most important piece of jewelry (that doesn't even really belong to us)?? I don't think so...

In fact, this badge was issued in 2006 for a woman with the initials KPM and from the Gamma Theta chapter at the University of South Florida.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Alpha-Omicron-Pi...QQcmdZViewItem

Does headquarters track this sort of thing?

AOII Angel · #2 06-02-2008, 06:21 AM

Hey...yes, AOII's policy does state that our badge is property of AOII, but despite an attempt by the Greek Community to have eBay refuse to sell GLO badges, the legal issue appears to fall in eBay's favor. It is really sad to see our badges sold on the internet, and especially sad if they are being sold by sisters, but there is nothing we can do about it except educate our members about the importance of returning their badges to IHQ when they die or are done with them. Check out inCircle...we have a Badges on eBay group if you are interested.

Angela

bulbboy · #3 06-02-2008, 10:37 AM

I would buy it before a non-member does

twinkle555 · #4 06-02-2008, 06:59 PM

This made me kinda angry considering I know this sister..she was in my chapter until Fall 06.

AOII Angel · #5 06-02-2008, 07:01 PM

It's okay, an AOII won the badge. She is one of a handful of sisters willing to pick up any of the "average" badges that come across eBay. Twinkle...I sent you a PM.

kujayhawk · #6 06-02-2008, 07:03 PM

I suppose if you disaffilated from your chapter you might not want it anymore...

I guess I am just confused as to why someone who was not an initiated member would want to buy a badge? I feel like it has much more value once it has meaning behind it!

#7 06-02-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kujayhawk

I suppose if you disaffilated from your chapter you might not want it anymore...

I guess I am just confused as to why someone who was not an initiated member would want to buy a badge? I feel like it has much more value once it has meaning behind it!

Pardon the forum crash...

Badge collectors know that there's a hot market for badges/pins because of the importance of the item to organization's members. They know that the item "technically" belongs to the organization, so it's easy for them to make a quick profit.

I do see the importance in rescuing very old badges, but for newer and "average" ones? I say save your $$$ and quit giving your business to these despicable sellers. The more business we give them, the more $$$ they can spend to buy our badges.

AOII Angel · #8 06-02-2008, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTW

Pardon the forum crash...

Badge collectors know that there's a hot market for badges/pins because of the importance of the item to organization's members. They know that the item "technically" belongs to the organization, so it's easy for them to make a quick profit.

I do see the importance in rescuing very old badges, but for newer and "average" ones? I say save your $$$ and quit giving your business to these despicable sellers. The more business we give them, the more $$$ they can spend to buy our badges.

Fortunately, the average badges have not been sold at outrageous prices. The ones I've seen or bought myself cost less than the sale price for a new badge making them rather reasonable. As for the fancier badges, the bids are getting out of control. Those are the badges that I choose to save my money on! I'm not going to give in and pay more than a badge is worth because there are a few extra gemstones on it! Maybe we should just stop buying all of the badges...even the fancy ones to stop this trend.