Guess I can't remain silent anymore on this issue. Folks, you can't have everything that comes down the pike at a few bucks over face value .... or even at ten to twenty times face value. Hard Rock chips and a few LE Tropicana issues and roulettes are the only Vegas chips I presently collect. I don't own the $25 Cinco de Mayo at the current price level and most probably won't own the latest $25 Cure chip. I don't own the Big Daddy Roth car set either for the same reason. I'll do without. But it does not mean that I'll quit collecting Hard Rock chips that I CAN afford.

Every hobby has it's high-ticket items that only the well-heeled, or advanced collector who has equivalent priced material to trade, can afford to collect these items. Stamp collectors have their upside down airplanes, coin collectors have their 1804 dollars, as extreme rarity examples. Baseball card collectors have their Honus Wagner cards. Everyone can't afford to collect U.S. gold coins. Does that mean coin collectors should give up their otherwise enjoyable coin collections? I don't think so. Collect what you can afford and what you like.

If this is truly a HOBBY for some, then forget about the investment angle. Having said that, I'm sure the question will arise, "don't chips appreciate in value?" Yes. Some do, some don't. Enjoy your hobby. Collect for yourself and for your own enjoyment. As for "investments" .....why not leave the investment angle to Wall Street? Be happy that most of your collections will have considerable value if/when you decide to throw in the towell and cash out... unlike other money consumption activites such as bowling, major leauge sports tix, theater, etc. Next thing we'll see is chip-investment portfolio ads appearing in the club magazine for our estates. If you enjoy paying $50, $100, $400 for a new issue chip, do it. If you don't enjoy laying out that kind of money for your enjoyment, don't do it. But it seems senseless to me to criticize those who "gotta have one" and who are willing to pay the going price.

Posting messages about things we have little control over is like spitting into the wind. I think that writing to Hard Rock management and expressing your resentment at the number of chips they produce for the privileged few would be more productive and effective. Hard Rock didn't set the price on these chips. What folks are willing to pay, sets the price. Don't buy at current asking prices, and perhaps the prices will come down. Are the chips that have been produced worth considerably more than a "normal" $25 LE? No question that the answer is YES! Will there be more issues like it? Probably so. Just my candid opinions.