Might as well stick in my two cents worth. "Obsolete" clearly means to me not readily available at the tables. The casino can still be open and the chips MAY be in the cage (waiting for destruction or ???). Retired (as in "oficially retired") has always meant that the casino called it in for redemption and they are no longer cashable. All retired chips are obsolete but not the other way around. In my dealings I rarely use the word retired since I prefer the obsolete designation. That way if a chip is brought back out of the vault next week it is simply no longer obsolete. I also disagree with those who exclude LE's on the basis that they are made to be quickly obsolete. Just look at the Grand Tunica GO (20,000 made) or the "LE's" at Westward Ho. Both have been on the tables for years.