To All,
The fooling is a reply to Barry Weintraub our club Secretary involving the subject of "slabbing" casino chips. I thought you might be interested:

>>>As a chip collector, I am personally against slabbing chips...I like to touch, feel and enjoy my chips.<<<

Barry, I am in 100% agreement with your above statement

>>>As a collector of high-end
(expensive) chips there are times when I would appreciate a chip that has been graded (generally when a chip has turned out to not be
what I was expecting). As prices continue to increase,
and I have not seen any indication that they will not (the supply of older chips
is definitely out running the demand) than grading may become a future an issue.<<<

Barry, this statement in my opinion makes no sense. I hope you have not become a member in that infamous historical club know by by
those who sell high end chips as ---- "the more money than brains club" <g>. If a chip sells for a considerable sum of money the major
questions that need to be answered are as follows:

1) How rare is the chip? In other words how many are known?

2) Who controls it (the find)? So it can be determined what the seller claims is true.

3) Are we sure it comes from the casino claimed by the seller?

4) Will the seller stand behind the purchase for a reasonable time? A time agreed upon between buyer and seller.

5) Can I afford it?

6) Can my ego stand it, if more chips are found at a later date and the price drops <g>?

Notice condition, grade, etc. really doesn't enter into it. Why? This might be the only chip you will ever see on the market. Take it or
leave it. However, I assure you condition,,grade, etc. will not be a factor whether you purchase or not. PRICE will control followed by
the other factors or questions I listed. If you should purchase this "rare" piece on Ebay; my only reply would be you got what you asked
for <vbg>. If I purchase a chip over a certain limit you better believe it will be in person so I can touch, smell, play with it and make my
determination to buy at that time.

>>> I am open to the topic because I am not a former coin
collector...<<<

Barry, this statement, in my opinion, does more harm to our hobby than you may clearly understand. You are leading our new collectors
in the wrong direction. Since you do not have the experience or knowledge about this subject one would think you would have to respect
the opinions of those who do. Don't misunderstand, gathering information about the topic is good being open to adopting it would not. It
would be the begining of the end of our hobby.

>>I don't have the personal experience of what happened in the coin hobby. I believe that this is a topic that should be open for
discussion.<<<

It is open for discussion. Don't you read Greg's BB? If slabbing becomes a norm. If our club should ever sanction it. I like many others
will quit the hobby. This is not a threat it is a promise. But before I go, I would have all my high end chips slabbed for selling - so I could
sock it too those who ruined my hobby.

Best, Jim