How could someone do this???

[Jim&AngieMarriner]

I was online this morning before going to work and I went on eBay. I found a seller that has a Veteran of the Day pin for auction. My question is this.... How can someone sell something so special and even put in the auction that they are told NEVER to give the pin away or sell it??
My husband earned his VOTD pin and he is too proud of it to ever THINK of getting rid of it. I think we should all email the seller and tell him that what he is doing will ruin it for veterans for ever. Disney will stop giving out these special pins and future ceremony participants will never get the chance to own such a special pin. Now who is with me???????

[PirateLover]

At first I was going to say you don't know all the details, maybe someone died and the loved ones are getting rid of possessions, really hard up for cash, etc., But I looked up the sale myself and see that it is being done by a super seller. One does wonder how the seller acquired it.

[btharvey]

My bet is as you said ... bequeathed to someone who didn't understand it's merit or didn't care and pawned it or sold it. One way or another, distance and time make information go away.

[DisneyGlutton]

Maybe they need the money badly, even if its just $20, you never know. Whether you like it or not, it is there property to do with as they please. I can understand why this upsets you so much, though. It does seem like a rather cheap price to sell something so special.

[Jim&AngieMarriner]

OK guys,
I agree with my wife on this point. This pin shouldnt be sold.
While i must acknowledge the point that, yes it is thier property and they can do what they want with it. This pin, while rare, really isnt worth that much monetarily. 20 bucks? it wont even fill up your gas tank. So why bother selling it in the first place?
My hope is that the pins (yes ive found two on Ebay) were in a box or boxes of pins by mistake when they were sold or given to this super seller.
I really cant politely express how much it upsets me that a non vet could have this pin. DId they get shot at in a foreign country or see good friends life stolen in the blink of an eye? I feel the same way when I see Military Medals for sale on Ebay. Folks this isnt about a rare pin, its more about what it means behind it.

Alright, im done. I will get off my soap box. Fel free to continue to send me private messages telling me how wrong I am to be upset. I'll read it, and then delete it.

Have a great day

[Gayle]

Please tell me more about the veteran of the day. I did not know WDW did this. I am a Navy vet from the vietnam era. Would love to be able to do this. I love this country and served proudly in the Navy and Army reserves! I come from a long line of military family who served proudly. Thank You Gayle

[JPL]

I understand the sentiments about the pin but after all it's still just a pin maybe the seller received it in a trade or through and insider connection at Disney. You have to understand that collector's search for rare pins and are willing to pay a premium for them so this pin being sold really doesn't surprise me at all.

[j&j]

some pins are meant to be special and kept. there is no way of knowing why the are selling. even if for needed money this would not be a lot. so they should give to another disney person who would apprecaited it and take care of the pin.

[labtech_laura]

That is just not right. That is a special pin and it's not meant for trading...it's meant to keep and cherish.

I have the 9/11 memorial pin that was given away to DVC members following the tragedy. It is not, nor will it ever be, for trade. It is in one of my pin books but it is clearly labeled "Do Not Touch...NOT For Trade".

I don't know if that person doesn't understand what VOTD pin means or what. The right thing to do would be to take the auction down. I wish there was some way we could complain to eBay but I can't see what they could do. It's not an item that isn't allowed on eBay.

[dmosher]

While I agree it is something that should not be sold, we don't know where it came from or who it actually belonged to. This sort of thing is often sold in bulk with many other items from estate sales, etc. it is possible the seller simply purchased a large bulk of items and this happened to be in with them. It may have come from anywhere or someone who passed away, etc. If it is a super seller, then chances are it did not belong to them in the first place.

D

[TracyL]

I think you have to assume the seller doesn't "get it" about the value of the pin to veterans or to Disney fanatics. For whatever reason, they don't ascribe the same sentiment to it that we do. However strongly you may feel about it, it is (a) not your decision, and (b) just an object no matter how significant it may seem.

We can't dictate how other people feel about stuff, much as we might want to. And ironically, freedom -- to do as we please as long as it doesn't harm someone else, and even to say and do things other people disagree with -- is one of the most important things our veterans fought for. If we try to tell them what they may and may not do with their own property, what message are we really sending?

If you haven't seen "Up" yet, be sure to go. One of the subplots in the movie is really about the importance and value of the "stuff" in your life vs. the experiences of it. The VOTD pin is just a pin, but nobody can ever take away from that veteran the experience that pin represents.