As a formerly active coin collector, without comparison, chip collecting is much less serious. Coins today are graded by independent third party companies and encapsulated in hard plastic holders. It is not possible to touch one of these coins without breaking it out of its holder, of which if you are not expert you will probably damage the coin. Uncirculated coins a graded from MS-60 to MS-70, with each point difference only distinguished by small nuances that only an expert can detect. And each point the grade increases so does the price, sometimes by several 100 percent. Today it is impossible to get a valuable coin at face value in change (except for perhaps errors), no so with chips. Nobody trades coins, everyone trades chips. And the clincher, my experience with coin dealers is to not trust anyone. It is just the opposite with chips, I haven't run into anyone I can't trust. Chip collecting is still fun, although I will agree that things have been changing.