There are several great points about Kappa badges in a
recent KKG blog post, so I wanted to share it here. Some takeaways:
- If you see a Kappa badge on ebay, do not bid on it!
- 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.
- 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?
