Order DeMoley Merit pin w/ 20 medals and a pendant thingy... info please??

We found some stuff in my step dads boxes in our storage unit after he passed away. He was a Mason, and before that he was in the Order DeMoley, a kind of "Freemasonry for teens". Here is a merit badge pin with medals and some lind of pendant at the bottom with a coat of arms type thing. It feels kind of bad to try to sell it but thats just how bad our financial situation is.

Keep in mind I'm not selling this here at ATS as I'm sure that would be against the TnC, I'm just trying to get some more information about it to add onto what I've learned so far. I've seen threads about found items before with people seeking information including any possible value the item may have so I assume this thread is ok...

So anyway, I have seen Order of DeMoley items online selling for anywhere from $70 to $300 and most of them were much smaller than this. I saw a pendant similar to the one at the bottom of this going for around $100, but I don't know if it or the other items I saw were made of gold and I dont know if this is made of gold but it doesnt appear to be. The pendant at the bottom might be but I'm not sure. But just to give some more information... based on my stepfathers age when he passed away, I would estimate this to be around 35 or 40 years old.



Thanks in advance for any information. If nobody has any information about any possible value, I thought it would still be fun to share because I personally have never seen one before, and have not been able to even find one for sale online. Furthermore, I never knew about the Order of DeMoley so it was kinda fun to learn about that!

www.demolay.org...

Just a quick test for gold content, Very Rough Guess, is to use a magnet. If it sticks even the tiniest bit, the gold content is probably pretty low. Even if it doesn't attract, it may be some other gold plated alloy, so don't assume it's real. You'll probably just have to look around and compare it with the closest one you can find to get a $$$ estimate. Then add a bit and let them talk you down.
I'm sorry your situation is so bad that you have to sell momentos of your step father's youth. Hope things get better soon.
Found this here : demolaypa.blogspot.com... Maybe you could contact this person for more information.

Looks like the plates are switchable and could be a time table.

Interestingly, "Stephen A. Douglas", a passed away American politician, has his hat on the table.

Oh wow... Sorry your selling your family items...the only advice I can give you is to get multiple opinions for the value....or at least opinions from someone who isn't buying g it..and don't rush into selling any of your grandfathers stuff, as you may regret it later.

a reply to: DAVID64

Thanks, bud. The magnet does not stick to it at all. But it doesnt have the appearance of gold, in my opinion, except maybe the bottom thing but i dont really think it is for some reason... But still it could be worth something I guess... who knows?

And thank you for your words of kindness. Our situation is only temporary but still very serious. It's (to me) a very strange set of circumstances that led to this. I got sick with flue like symptoms for a month. One day it would feel as though it was going away and I thought "great! a little rest and I'll be just as good as dodgers by the 'morrow!" But it was not to be, my brothers and sisters... It came back.

This game of see-saw with my health continued for a month. A ridiculous amount of time to be ill, but what makes it even more strange for me is that I have not been sick in any way shape or form for about 11 or 12 years or more. So my inability to earn money for a month set us back and at the moment we are feeling the repercussions... I guess we will be back on track hopefully in a month or so. I don't mind it really, I mean, it's stressful, but I knkw we will be ok. But I am accustomed to helping others around me and those I come into comtact with, but I've been unable to do much for now until I get back on my feet.

We're still going to have a great Thanksgiving dinner (despite my feelings about the holiday and its historical significance, I've come to realize it does not have to be about that... it can be about good food and sharing that food with others less fortunate or whatever You want it to be about!) thanks to some kind stranger my aunt met on Facebook, so at least I will be able to fulfill my promise to my almost-homeless friend down the road to invite him to have dinner with us on Thanksgiving.

We talked about it, and we decided my stepdad would be ok with this. He had not been active in Masonry for many years. And he would probably say something like "that hunk of metal isn't doing any good sitting in a box! Do what you have to do to put gas in the car and keep the lights on, etc". Besides we already sold our own jewelry and anything else of value is in the pawnshop, so it really is a last resort type of thing.

But just in case anyone is... please dont worry about us. I put my faith in God, and I have always been taken care of no matter how bad things may seem to get. Whether things just work out on their own, or an "angel in disguise" comes to my aid, something always happens for me and that's just how it's always been. Not that I expect anything, I just have faith that whatever happens is all part of a grander plan and everything will be ok in the end.

Thanks again for your kind and helpful post.

originally posted by: oneoneone
Looks like the plates are switchable and could be a time table.

Interestingly, "Stephen A. Douglas", a passed away American politician, has his hat on the table.

Yes, i assume they are meant to be added onto as the person achieves a specified goal, but Im not sure what order they may be in, as the "atheletic" ones are all together, same with the others. It seems to be more symmetrically, or aesthetically you might say, put together, rather than in a chronological order. But who knows...

I will have to look up the information about Mr Stephen Douglas and his hat (EDIT: I see now you were referring to the link posted by DAVID64 /end of EDIT) Thanks for the lead on what may be some interesting info. Interestingly, my stepfathers name is/was Steve! But he passed away 7 or 8 years ago.

originally posted by: 3n19m470
We're still going to have a great Thanksgiving dinner (despite my feelings about the holiday and its historical significance, I've come to realize it does not have to be about that...

Somewhat off topic but Masonically significant, the first National Day of Thanksgiving, drafted by Samuel Adams, and later celebrated by George Washington after victory in the Battle of Saratoga is far different from our modern conceptions of the history of the holiday.

a reply to: Meldionne1

Thank you, that is sound advice.
We do have a diamond ring on Craigslist for $50, our last peice of jewelry worth anything. But that will just get us enough gas to get to work for 5-7 days...

And I did want to try to sell my badass (modern era) Samurai sword, instead of this potential family heirloom, but there are not many places you can sell weapons online... Maybe eBay? But that would require a paypal account I believe, which I've tried before but for some reason could not figure the dang thing out for the life of me lol... Which has prevented me from a number of opportunities over the years. So maybe its time I finally just stick to my guns and see it through till I have this paypal thing mastered... but the question still remains... does eBay allow such items? Probably.

Thanks for taking the time to post your words of care, kindness and caution

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: 3n19m470
We're still going to have a great Thanksgiving dinner (despite my feelings about the holiday and its historical significance, I've come to realize it does not have to be about that...

Somewhat off topic but Masonically significant, the first National Day of Thanksgiving, drafted by Samuel Adams, and later celebrated by George Washington after victory in the Battle of Saratoga is far different from our modern conceptions of the history of the holiday.

Thank you for stopping in to drop some knowledge onto our Thanksgiving table, Augustus. Wisdom and knowledge is always welcome in my opinion, and I am always happy to be corrected especially if I may have fallen victim to a common misconception. I always love the relevant variations on your avatar I have been seeing lately.

originally posted by: 3n19m470
a reply to: Meldionne1

Thank you, that is sound advice.
We do have a diamond ring on Craigslist for $50, our last peice of jewelry worth anything. But that will just get us enough gas to get to work for 5-7 days...

And I did want to try to sell my badass (modern era) Samurai sword, instead of this potential family heirloom, but there are not many places you can sell weapons online... Maybe eBay? But that would require a paypal account I believe, which I've tried before but for some reason could not figure the dang thing out for the life of me lol... Which has prevented me from a number of opportunities over the years. So maybe its time I finally just stick to my guns and see it through till I have this paypal thing mastered... but the question still remains... does eBay allow such items? Probably.

Thanks for taking the time to post your words of care, kindness and caution

If you have paypal asigned to your email you have to have some money in the account just like a checking account.
Several ways exist to put money on the card
1. Purchase a green dot money pack at Kroger, Walmart and similar places. The card cost a ridiculous 5 dollars plus the amount you put on it, so I avoid money packs and use a credit card.
Then punch in the code that is on the card into your paypal account to see the available funds.
2. Assign a credit card to the account and paypal automatically uses your credit card once you've given your paypal password and hit confirm purchase or order.
3. Assign a Checking Account to your paypal and transfer funds into the account before hand.

If someone sends funds to your paypal account all they need is the email address that you assigned to your paypal account.
The funds will show up in paypal as a credit once the money has been sent.

Good Luck!

a reply to: 3n19m470

those are only worth something to the person that earns them.

Hey there.

I am a DeMolay. The merit badge aren't really worth anything monetarily. They are like boyscout badges, you can buy them pretty cheap from the DeMolay website.

Sorry for your hard times.

a reply to: 3n19m470

a reply to: Walsh

Thank you for your post which is short and to the point, I had a feeling this may be the case, but I figured it was worth a shot... at this point very little can actually hurt, despite any shame involved, short of criminal activity. And I have learned some things along the way, so in the end I feel it was a worthwhile endeavor, even if I have put some of my personal affairs on the table for all to see, with no material gain after all is said and done

a reply to: 3n19m470

Sorry to hear about your money situation and times are hard for many. I would suggest selling other items before selling family keep sakes. Once it is gone........It is gone.

Delete

a reply to: Voyager1

I have seen swords for sale on Ebay before. If you are a new seller it takes time to get the money..... you have to ship the item with a tracking number and only when it reaches the buyer will the funds be released from paypal. This can take 2-3 weeks or more.


Setting up a paypal account is easy. Also remember ebay and paypal take fees. It costs money to list and once it sells a percentage is taken off.

a reply to: Woodcarver

Thank you, Woodcarver, I was hoping for some information straight from the horse's mouth. It looks impressive to me, and I am glad I can keep it now. And thank you for your kind words, but I know this, like everything, is only temporary. I do have some relief as I got a call back from one of the flyers i was handing out door to door, and I did an estimate on a small job putting up Christmas decorations on a 1 story home not far away. They don't mind having them put up before thanksgiving so I'll be out doing that today As long as you keep trying, something will always happen. And in this case it was actually something good that happened hehe... I guess I should bring home at least $100 from doing this side job.

Tax free, too!
Oops. *begins eyeing the crowd closing in around him... puts together a makeshift torch and starts waving madly at the mob which has encircled him. "No! Back away, you! You can't have my money! Not this time! It's not fair! I need this! Beaurocracy will waste it all anyway! Noooooooo!"