Kappa Badges - Blog Post

[thetygerlily]

There are several great points about Kappa badges in a recent KKG blog post, so I wanted to share it here. Some takeaways:

1. If you see a Kappa badge on ebay, do not bid on it!
2. If your badge is stolen, file a police report. This will help you get it back in the event it turns up for sale at a later date.
3. If you are looking for a replacement badge or want the Keepers to keep a look out for your lost/stolen badge, contact the GKAA.

Your Kappa Badge: It Always Fits!
You may have noticed that March 1 was International Badge Day. Every year the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) encourages its members to wear their badges with pride on this day. This is one of the few times that I, as an alumna, wear my Kappa key other than at a meeting or Convention. And as usual, this year it went unnoticed by my co-workers, though it gave me a happy Kappa glow all day long.

I have several badges to choose from, as thanks to eBay and my affiliation with the Golden Key Alumnae Association, I’ve established a small collection of keys. The keys all have stories, and for too many it seems that they ended up being sold after the death of their original owners by relatives at an estate sale. Maybe Kappa hadn’t been part of the member’s life for a long time, or the family just didn’t understand the significance of that cute key pin in the jewelry box. It’s not just a piece of jewelry it’s an emblem of membership. It is for reasons such as this that we all should take care to have a Badge Disposition Form, available at the Kappa Web site (see “Protect Your Badge” under the Community heading on the home page) filled out and stored with our badges.

Sadder still, to me, is seeing members selling their own badges. The eBay listings might even include in the description, “Not worn in 20 years, in great condition.” As odd as it may seem, there are non-members who collect Greek Letter Organization badges. Some buy them at auction and re-sell at a profit to other collectors.

What should you do if you see a Kappa badge for sale on eBay? First, do not bid. This only drives up the price of the auction, and it’s very likely that members of the Golden Key Alumnae Association who monitor eBay closely already have this badge “on the radar” and are attempting to contact its owner. To make certain that they are you can fill out the information form at www.gkaa.org and a message will be sent to the group. If you are interested in acquiring the badge up for auction, this is how you can ensure that there are not Kappas bidding against Kappas.

In the unlikely and unfortunate event that your badge is stolen, it’s important to file a police report. Should it ever end up on eBay it can be identified as stolen property and steps can be taken to end the auction.

If you are ever in need of a replacement badge or would like to acquire a vintage key, the Golden Key Alumnae Association members maintain a list of “adoptable badges” available for sale.

This year I celebrated International Badge Day by wearing a beautiful plain gold matte finish key from 1930. I don’t know much about its original owner, only that her name was Mary Lou and she was member of Beta Theta chapter at the University of Oklahoma. I don’t remember how many years ago I won the key at auction and adopted it, or how much I paid for it. To me, it’s priceless. But then, aren’t they all?

[ISUKappa]

That wonderful post was written by our own EEKappa.

[iateke]

I just checked ebay, and there is actually a KKG badge for sale. Should I bid so my wife can return it to the proper owner?

[thetygerlily]

Thank you for asking! No- please do not bid on Kappa badges. The Keepers of the Key (referenced in the above post) are dilligent about checking various sources including eBay. Although your intentions may be good, it can result in bidding against each other and driving up the price. If you ever find a badge in an obscure location, please PM either me or ISUKappa. We try to discourage posting about them publicly to avoid issues. The same goes for many NPCs here on GC.

Just to reiterate because we can't say it enough, here are the key takeaways from the original post:

Originally Posted by thetygerlily

Some takeaways:

1. If you see a Kappa badge on ebay, do not bid on it!
2. If your badge is stolen, file a police report. This will help you get it back in the event it turns up for sale at a later date.
3. If you are looking for a replacement badge or want the Keepers to keep a look out for your lost/stolen badge, contact the GKAA.

[MSKKG]

If you do want to bid on a badge on eBay, just let the Keepers of the Key know, and they won't bid. That's what happened to me. I had lost my badge and wanted a replacement. They knew my eBay screen name and that I wanted to bid on a badge, so they didn't bid.

The president of the Golden Key AA sold about seven rescued badges at Convention. She is one of the presidents in my province, so I spoke with her often.

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by MSKKG

If you do want to bid on a badge on eBay, just let the Keepers of the Key know, and they won't bid. That's what happened to me. I had lost my badge and wanted a replacement. They knew my eBay screen name and that I wanted to bid on a badge, so they didn't bid.

The president of the Golden Key AA sold about seven rescued badges at Convention. She is one of the presidents in my province, so I spoke with her often.

Communicating is always the best thing to do! And we love our President. She is such a wonderful ambassador for GKAA and Kappa!