In another thread some collectors have stated that do not collect chips from certain casinos which have policies regarding distribution of LE's which they do not like.

This brought back to my mind a question which has been bothering me for some time. When I started collecting chips, it was just chips which I picked up off of the table while I was playing. Collecting these gave me the feeling that I was picking up a piece of the casino, when I found old obsolete chips, I felt even more that I had a connection to the history of the casino and to gambling and this is what appealed to me.

When I first saw an LE I thought "why would anyone want a casino chip which was never meant to be gambled?" This had no appeal to me, it didn't feel right. I may as well collect beanie babies. But then I saw one which I thought looked interesting and I bought it. Then another ... then another ... And now George Conrad keeps sending me lists and I keep buying them ...

On an intellectual level I don't like these chips, the "limited" distribution seems artificial, not like the limit which exists on old obsolete chips. Yet there is something that draws me to them. Not all of them, but many.

I don't mean to start a debate over whether one should collect LE's, but I would like to hear from those who do collect them as to why they do. Or actually I'd like to hear from anybody why they collect what they do (whether LE's or fractionals, or illegals etc.)

Pete