The Legality of Selling Pins?

[KappaStargirl]

Yes, I know this thread is old.

Yes, I know it's been beaten to death, and I'll be surprised if anyone reads this message.

HOWEVER

I'm feeling a strong need to make a public service announcement.

The Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Historian, Mary Silzel, is a member of my alum association. At the last meeting, she and I got into a discussion of badges turning up on Ebay because a) it makes me ill and I still stand by the very first statement I ever made on badge selling, that it is a mean and disrespectful and spiteful thing to do (most of the time, occasionally there is the seller who truly has no idea what he's selling) and b) she is a badge rescuer.

She told me that at least 50 percent, and probably closer to 75 percent, of the Kappa pins that turn up on Ebay have been stolen. Lots of them were stolen more than 10 years ago, and the owners were still in college and didn't file a police report for whatever reason. On more than one occasion, Kappa has been able to get a badge off Ebay because they were able to get a police report that was filed at the time the badge was stolen, and the badges have been returned to their rightful owner. It has also happened that the rightful owner of the badge has emailed the seller, offering proof of identity and asking for its return, and the seller said some, um, not-very-nice things. So please:

If your badge ever goes missing, FILE A POLICE REPORT. That's of course after you check all the usual places for it (how many times has mine been through the wash???). That will prove that the seller is selling stolen property and is the only way you are guaranteed to get it off Ebay unless you have endless amounts of cash.

Write a note, sign it, have 2 witnesses sign it (probably unnecessary in most states, but it can't hurt), and state that in the event of your death, the pin should go to HQ, and leave their full mailing address! or an intended chapter or member. Again, leave their address.

Kappa does occasionally put messages like this in The Key (our magazine), but I know how you all feel about your badges and I care, so I'm writing.