My problem with e-bay is I wind up spending $3-$12 over face for every chip I buy - by the time I pay shipping which really adds up.

If more COLLECTORS (I am excluding dealers who provide a service to U.S. collectors who can not possibly be "there" to get a chip every time we'd like one) would support TRADING in this hobby, collecting would be more affordable for everyone.

I learned my most valuable lesson about "trading" from a lifetime member who selected about $20 in chips a while back from my meager trade list. Looking at his list - I wanted this and needed that... Good Lord! I wanted and needed EVERYTHING although many of his chips were obsolete. Hesitantly I sent my back my "wish" list, asking him which chips he'd be willing to trade - understanding and believing he would assess a "trade value" and agree to trade me SOME of the chips with a total "comparable" value (which would have been FINE with me!)

Instead, he went back to my list and selected another $20 in common chips and agreed to trade. I emailed him back and said, "But... some of those are obsolete! Surely you want..."
He said, "No... that's ok - they are only a little obsolete." (is that like being a little pregnant? )

We made the trade - I was thrilled of course! But something "odd" continued to nag at me... so I went back and looked "at something". What I realized warmed my heart and set a standard for me to follow: I realized that "what was odd" about this trade was that this member accepted CHIPS FROM ME that WERE ALREADY ON HIS TRADE LIST.

THIS IS THE KIND OF THING that is GREAT for our hobby.
SUPPORT TRADING! TRADING SAVES US MONEY!
Just my opinion...
jsb

BTW: this set of "winners" was sold to me AT FACE VALUE by a collector, plus a buck or two for shipping. But then he added a couple of wooden nickles (which my son and I collect) and the choken ~~ so he certainly didn't make a killing on THIS deal! THAT is what is good for our hobby!