Greek Pin Website

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally Posted by betasigrose

Hi everyone! I don't know if this has been posted before but I wanted to let you know that there is a website www.fratpin.com which has all different GLOs' pins for sale. I tried emailing her and all I got was nasty attitude. She's also on ebay as hbrieholmes.
I wanted to let everyone know that she's not to be trusted and she's out to make a profit.

Fraternal Love
Jamie

Beta Sigma Phi and Alpha Sigma Alpha 'till I die!!!

I believe she's greek (I think I remember which one but am not going to say in case I'm wrong). I think some people on here know her though. We've had a few dealings with her.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by SmartBlondeGPhB

I believe she's greek (I think I remember which one but am not going to say in case I'm wrong). I think some people on here know her though. We've had a few dealings with her.

I know which one. *blush* I tried to talk to her reasonably, but to no avail. I quote, "she who has the deepest pockets win."

I wish people would quit supporting that site.

[JonoBN41]

Her website is a business and the idea of any business is to sell things for more than you paid for them, otherwise you'd be out of business.

Anyone can spend hour upon hour searching ebay and perhaps getting something at a lower price. But if you don't want to do that, you can go to her site, where all the pins are lined up and ready to go. Naturally, you will pay a premium for the convenience and for her doing a lot of the work for you.

I suppose if I went into any store and demanded they sell me merchandise for what they paid for it, I'd get an "attitude" also.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

Her website is a business and the idea of any business is to sell things for more than you paid for them, otherwise you'd be out of business.

Anyone can spend hour upon hour searching ebay and perhaps getting something at a lower price. But if you don't want to do that, you can go to her site, where all the pins are lined up and ready to go. Naturally, you will pay a premium for the convenience and for her doing a lot of the work for you.

I suppose if I went into any store and demanded they sell me merchandise for what they paid for it, I'd get an "attitude" also.

I see your point, but how difficult is it to order your pin through your HQ? At least you know what you are getting and you are not paying a premium price.

I remember the excitement I had when I ordered my pin through my HQ. Waiting for it made it that more exciting, and when it finally arrived!!! OH!!!! I was the happiest girl in the world!!

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I see your point, but how difficult is it to order your pin through your HQ? At least you know what you are getting and you are not paying a premium price.

New members HAVE to order through our IH unless they get an exception to wear a relative's badge.

[JonoBN41]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I see your point, but how difficult is it to order your pin through your HQ? At least you know what you are getting and you are not paying a premium price.

Wrong. I recently made the mistake of ordering a Lambda Chi Alpha badge from the Balfour/BurrPat/MastersofDesign/Herff-Jones monopoly for $120 and received a piece of junk that looks like plastic and tested at only 8 karats.

It's absolutely deplorable the crap they're pawning off on our new members, and that company serves (and I use that term lightly) 98 fraternities and sororities.

I'll do my shopping on ebay where you can find a nice vintage badge in 10 or 14K, often for $50 - $75. You will not find workmanship like that today.

You all should be glad that sellers on ebay are listing older pins. It's the only way you're going to get a quality badge. Stop griping and whining about it for crying out loud, and buy one to give to a new member.

Jono

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

Wrong. I recently made the mistake of ordering a Lambda Chi Alpha badge from the Balfour/BurrPat/MastersofDesign/Herff-Jones monopoly for $120 and received a piece of junk that looks like plastic and tested at only 8 karats.

It's absolutely deplorable the crap they're pawning off on our new members, and that company serves (and I use that term lightly) 98 fraternities and sororities.

I'll do my shopping on ebay where you can find a nice vintage badge in 10 or 14K, often for $50 - $75. You will not find workmanship like that today.

You all should be glad that sellers on ebay are listing older pins. It's the only way you're going to get a quality badge. Stop griping and whining about it for crying out loud, and buy one to give to a new member.

Jono

Ouch!!! Well, this is your opportunity to make an important change in your fraternity. For a brief time in my sorority we had a similar problem with our badges. Who ever we contracted with were sending out these wafer thin pieces of gold that barely held the pearls. Many members complained and we changed companies - after the membership spoke up about it!!! Do the same, make some changes.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

the Balfour/BurrPat/MastersofDesign/Herff-Jones monopoly

So this is all the same company? Who bought who? Why don't they just go under one name and be done with it?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

So this is all the same company? Who bought who? Why don't they just go under one name and be done with it?

So far as I know, Balfour and Masters of Design are still separate companies. Herff Jones bought Burr Patterson & Auld and maintains that mark for its Greek Division.

[susan314]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

You all should be glad that sellers on ebay are listing older pins. It's the only way you're going to get a quality badge. Stop griping and whining about it for crying out loud, and buy one to give to a new member.

Jono

I don't know about the policies of anyone else's organization, but it is completely in violation of Alpha Gamma Delta's badge disposition policy for these badges to appear on eBay.

Badges are property of Alpha Gamma Delta, and we as members purchase a lifetime lease on the badge - not the badge itself. Upon death of a sister, there are two options - badge can be buried with the deceased, or badge should be returned to IHQ. Anyone who sells an Alpha Gamma Delta badge is selling something that is quite simply not theirs to sell. (No one other than IHQ has the right/legal ability to sell an Alpha Gamma Delta badge, because only the sorority truly owns the badge.)

I'm sure the problem arises primarily when a sister passes away and the family is not aware of her wishes (to either be buried w/her badge or in the alternative have the badge revert back to IHQ). Which is, of course, why any member should be aware of their own GLO's badge disposition policy and make sure that family members are aware of what to do upon your passing.

(Our official policy is here, on the public portion of our website: http://www.alphagammadelta.org/content/about/badge.htm )

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by susan314

I don't know about the policies of anyone else's organization, but it is completely in violation of Alpha Gamma Delta's badge disposition policy for these badges to appear on eBay.

Badges are property of Alpha Gamma Delta, and we as members purchase a lifetime lease on the badge - not the badge itself. Upon death of a sister, there are two options - badge can be buried with the deceased, or badge should be returned to IHQ. Anyone who sells an Alpha Gamma Delta badge is selling something that is quite simply not theirs to sell. (No one other than IHQ has the right/legal ability to sell an Alpha Gamma Delta badge, because only the sorority truly owns the badge.)

I'm sure the problem arises primarily when a sister passes away and the family is not aware of her wishes (to either be buried w/her badge or in the alternative have the badge revert back to IHQ). Which is, of course, why any member should be aware of their own GLO's badge disposition policy and make sure that family members are aware of what to do upon your passing.

(Our official policy is here, on the public portion of our website: http://www.alphagammadelta.org/content/about/badge.htm )

Ebay will take down auctions that are objectionable. I wonder if pointing out that those badges are essentially "stolen" property would get them removed from ebay?

[JonoBN41]

Originally Posted by susan314

I don't know about the policies of anyone else's organization, but it is completely in violation of Alpha Gamma Delta's badge disposition policy for these badges to appear on eBay.

It's a nice idea, unfortunately Alpha Gamma Delta's policies don't apply to the rest of the Free World. Your policies are only valid within your own organization.

Even assuming you could ban the sale of badges on ebay, each seller's main recourse would be to melt the them down as scrap gold.

Maybe that doesn't bother some people, but it bothers the hell out of me, and it should bother anyone who has lost a badge and hopes to one day recover it.

Jono

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I see your point, but how difficult is it to order your pin through your HQ?

It may take forever but there's a reason for getting such things through NHQ.

It's not like those flimsy pins you can get at random 'nalia vendors.

[SWTXBelle]

Oh, it was stolen. It was in my luggage in my room. Perhaps if I had been at home it would have been easy to misplace, but at convention I was either wearing it or it was in its case. When I reported it I was told to go check out the pawn shops because apparently it was a fairly common occurence. Since I didn't live in Palm Desert, or Springs, that was that. This was in 1988 - before the internet and e-bay! I have it registered with our Crescent Catchers, so I'm hoping someday it shows up again. I'd hate to think it was melted down.!

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

Her website is a business and the idea of any business is to sell things for more than you paid for them, otherwise you'd be out of business.

Anyone can spend hour upon hour searching ebay and perhaps getting something at a lower price. But if you don't want to do that, you can go to her site, where all the pins are lined up and ready to go. Naturally, you will pay a premium for the convenience and for her doing a lot of the work for you.

I suppose if I went into any store and demanded they sell me merchandise for what they paid for it, I'd get an "attitude" also.

Without going into something that not anyone else's business, these pins are not hers to sell. Each time she does, she (or any other ADPi doing so) proves that their word is not to be trusted.