... posting information about your company and the services you intend to offer. Your message is polite and well-mannered and certainly took some of the guesswork out of our consideration of this issue.

I would like to respond to a few specific points in your post:

>> The polls certainly do not reflect the "ban" mentality that has been
>> propagated in the messages of some.

Well, I am aware of only one poll. Presently, more than two-thirds of those voting oppose the slabbing of chips. One-third support banning slabbed chips from CC>CC venues.

As far as I know, no one has suggested a complete "ban" on slabbed chips (nor would the CC>CC have any authority to issue or try to enforce any such "ban"). On the other hand, I see no reason why we have to make our venues available for you to promote a service which I see as destructive of our hobby.

Slab away. But, if I have my way, do not expect to have the support of my club in your efforts.

>> To be clear, ICG is not considering grading chips, we are grading chips.

Thank you for making that clear.

>> Some will like the services they provide--a specific grade arrived at
>> by objective, third-party graders who are independent of the market,

Presently, at least, there is no such thing. No one who has sufficient knowledge of the chip collecting hobby to serve as an expert grader is "independent" of the market. Are your graders prepared to divest themselves of any interest in the chip market (that is, sell ALL of their chips before engaging in chip grading)?

>> I think one issue here is respect.

Like the respect your company has shown to the only international organization devoted to collecting chips? Exactly what input did you seek from the club on the issues of slabbing and grading standards?

>> The point is there are actually thousands of different ways to collect
>> chips and every collector should respect others collecting wishes as any
>> thing else would be arrogance in the purest form

I wouldn't presume to tell anyone what or how to collect. Anyone who wants to buy slabbed chips is free to do so. Just don't expect to be able to do it in my house.

>> But if someone does want a slabbed chip, they should be afforded
>> the same freedom to pursue their interest as any of you.

Of course. The world is a big place. Even if our club adopts a ban of slabbed chips at CC>CC activities and venues, collectors will still be able to buy and sell slabbed chips virtually anywhere they want, nearly all of the time. Just not in our very small corner of the world, in our auction, through our magazine.

>> I will predict there is someone out there who is currently very
>> comfortable buying chips from his three favorite dealers. He will
>> send in twenty chips to ICG in the next year. He will receive back
>> five chips for excessive cleaning and notice that all five chips came
>> from the same dealer. It will come to pass he will find that half the
>> chips that came from one dealer have been excessively cleaned. This
>> person will be grateful for slabbing as he is now educating himself on
>> excessively cleaned chips. The dealer that sold these may not be
>> dishonest. He may like the excessively cleaned chips or maybe he is
>> unable to tell.

Others have already pointed out just how this comment demonstrates YOUR lack of knowledge of our hobby, so I won't belabor that point. It does, however, demonstrate the arrogance which you attempt to disclaim in that it shows you intend to impose your standards of what is appropriate and what is not on a hobby that does not share your opinion on this issue.

>> I should let all of you know ICG is currently encapsulating chips.
>> The sample at the Las Vegas show was not a trial balloon. We will
>> continue to do so whether business is brisk or slow as all
>> investments in the chip business are now sunk costs.

Fair enough. And I should let you and your company know that I would just as soon see your chip slabbing business sunk.

----- jim o\-S