Archie,

Could it be that the makers of Hummels and Herends make the same number of every issue, where as chips are a completely different arena? Issue numbers of LE chips vary from 75 to 50,000. Given that range, I can't find fault for someone calling a 2000 chip issue as rare. The word obviously bothers you when used to describe what you view as common, yet the minimum bid does reflect its value. It's not a word that I use unless the item meets much the same standard as you, but it really isn't something to lose sleep over...

Bob