And the same thing is happening today with other future chip collectors as you described with your South Padre Island chip story, Ed. Evidently, you didn't get turned off on the hobby..... obviously you chalked it up to experience and are now a well respected chipper. Many of us bought these bogus chips over the years. While the practice may be despicable for someone to offer the (I hate to call them chips) as genuine.... as Jim Rielly has previously indicated; we can't save the whole world from getting taken by some scam artists. However, I don't think that the sky is falling, and that "we" must save everyone who gets taken in on these phony deals. I'm not suggesting that we ignore the problem either. I think it is admirable that there are a few chippers out there who have taken on the positive role of "educational activists" in alerting unsuspecting purchasers of this bogus material as to what they are really buying.