Basically, you send your chip into the slabbing company (ICG), along with a payment which depends on the value of the chip (starts at $10). They have an "expert" grade the chip & assign a grade, much like a coin. Then your chip is sealed in a plastic case & a label is attached with all of the pertinent information. You then get this sent back to you.

ICG contends that slabbing increases the value of the chip, most chippers contend that it just raises the cost of the chip. Slabbing is taking the fun out chipping & turning it into an investment (read business).

What happens if your favorite casino that you collect chips from issues the "2003, Year of the Poodle" & the slabbers end up with most of them that were released? The value of these chips has just been artificially increased. This has happened in the coin, stamp, & baseball card collecting hobbies. Slabbing has forced the little guys out & turned it into a speculative investment? Even the discussion of it here on the board has taken some of the fun out of chipping; it's created a bad vibe. That's my take on it, anyone else out there feel free to jump in here.
Bill R-4581