Skull and Bones badge on ebay

[Trey_P-I_47]

I was just curious as to what opinion you all have of this Skull and Bones badge. It seems the gentleman selling this has come across some pretty rare Badges including this one and the Wolfs Head.

Here is the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/SKULL-BONES-YALE...QQcmdZViewItem

[docroc67]

Greetings,

This individual is a long standing eBay seller of badges and pins. Buys low - sells high. A good business practice!

I am surprised that anybody would offer this much for this badge.

It is an honest and detailed listing of a badge that is made up of components from different sources. Basically, this is not even a restored piece. Old components for sure, but not original to the piece. Lazer technology and nineteenth century Badges?

And, please don't clean an old Badge!

As such, it is grossly overpriced.

Earlier Skull & Bones Badges, with documentation, have gone for half this price in the past.

I think it should have been left as found and sold as found. As a testament to the sentiments of the original owner.

That's just me....

However, somebody seems to think that it is worth this opening bid!

I would like one of these for my collection but not at a third of this price....

Yours in ZAX,

Mike Raymond,
ZUZAA

[GammaZeta]

Well, considering how secret this society is, I'd want a little more proof of authenticity before bidding $4,000.

Of course, with the S and B's, you're not even allowed to acknowledge you are a member to anyone who is not already a member.

Or so I've been told...

[Trey_P-I_47]

Well to me it did look legite, I mean with the 322 and everything. I also believe that is why he is asking $3220.00, I guess he figures he should stay with the mystical aspect of it. I was also reading somewhere that the number is so 'unique' that even a nonmember donated $322,000 (courtesy of wikipedia.org ....'skull and bones secret society' for the search).

I completely understand Mikes point, though, it should have been left as it was bought, but then agian why was it even on a bracelet in the first place, considering the overall secrecy of the society in itself.

As for its authenticity, this particular gentleman also has a Wolf's Head badge, which is also a secret society at Yale. Another neat item that he is selling at the moment is a Delta Phi badge. Oh and if you go back a few threads, you may find the one where I was asking about paying $800 for a TKN badge, he is also the seller of that item as well. So he does have a tendency of acquiring some nice badges, but he also tries to make as much as possible from them too, judging by his prices. Hell just look at our AM pin that he wants $45 and $50 for.

On a side note, this gentleman lives in the Greensboro area apparentley, which is where I am right now (no it isnt me...LOL). Have emailed him several times, but he is usually slow to respond, personally I would have liked to have seen that TKN badge in person, but so far no luck, and I wont even consider it if he doesnt come down some. I mean it only has the diamond in the middle, and pearls on the edges, but it does have an inscription on the back and a pearled A chapter guard. So overall, if he was to drop a little in price, then maybe I would cough up some money, but we'll wait and see on that one.

[boz130]

Perhaps "authenticity" is in the eye of the beholder. How many of us have purchased those "rare" CofA prints (pre-TKN) on eBay? My wife got one for me a couple of years ago, yet I still see 'em pop up on eBay periodically.

If they're that hard to find, then how do they magically seem to have just enough in stock for us???

[GammaZeta]

Yes boz, but don't forget, S and B isn't an international fraternity. They have maybe what, 750 living members at most?

It's not like you could just go to a store on campus and purchase these things like you could LXA merchandise. Never saw a Skull and Bones section on Campus-Classics.com!