Well, I guess it's time for me to put on my black hat and be the bad guy again to tell some folks a few of the facts of life and defend all those "bad dealers" out there who are not interested in trading. I guess this is directed at the newbies or novices who are looking to trade face value for face value of relatively common current chips?

First of all, dealers are in business to make money selling chips. Quite a few of them are not collectors... or they may have been a collector at one time but are now attempting to liquidate their holdings for many reasons. They may be in bad health and are attempting to cash in and get out. They may have domestic problems. They may need money to retire or to purchase a house, or send their children to college, or to supplement their social security or pensions. They may have lost interest and want to recoup their investment. They don't make money by trading their inventory for your duplicate chips. My advise is to find other collectors who are willing to trade chips at face value. Develop friendships with other collectors from other parts of the country to fill in new issues that come out regularly that you can't keep up with. This bulletin board serves as an excellent vehicle to find those kind of traders to deal with. Don't expect everyone who is carrying a three ring binder to be a trader however. Dealers have table expenses, travel expenses, shipping expenses, meal expenses, hotel expenses when they attend these various shows around the country. A table at the upcoming CC&GTCC convention next month costs $200 each. There are several dealers who have taken more than one table. They don't cover their table fees by trading face value for face value of common chips or for chips that they presently have an adequate inventory. There is a trading session scheduled for Wednesday evening and again on Saturday evening for those who wish to trade..... both novice and veteran chip & token collectors. Dealers need collectors... and veteran collectors need dealers. Dealers provide lots of scarce to rare pieces they have in stock to customers who supply want lists and whom are willing to pay high premium prices to obtain. You can throw away most price guides when it comes to this type material. True, everyone can't afford this material..... certainly not a "newbie". If you are attending the CC&GTCC convention for the first time.... don't miss the auction on Friday night. Here is where you will see first hand what some folks are willing to pay for scarce to rare material that is seldom offered and which one can not find on the main bourse floor. This is one room where you'll receive an education. Watch who is bidding. Most of the time it is a dealer who is bidding on a particular lot because he knows where he can sell it within days.... or hours, and make a profit..... many times to another dealer. Dealers are not to be scorned with disdain. They provide a valuable service within this hobby for the veteran collector..... which all you newbies will become some day. When that day arrives, you will be grateful for that dealer whom some collectors seem to dislike today. I do admire and respect those dealers who give up two and three solid days of their time to book tables at these shows around the country which does grow the hobby.... and our collection(s).. Archie.