Due to its length, you may wish to save or print this article and read it off-line at your leisure. I apologize, in advance, for it’s lengthiness.

I have been reading this board for a couple of months now and have a lot to add about this debate. I have received an education on chip collecting from reading your debates. I have laughed at some of your exchanges and taken sides on others. I think for the most part the discussions are healthy and I am disheartened with the fact that some are being attacked publicly and others are giving up and feeling that they need to quit the cc>cc, this board, or the hobby in general.

I am going to just jump into this debate and add my two cents. I do not see how slabbing, in itself, is harmful to the hobby. If a collector or investor wants to pay the extra money to grade and preserve their chip than that should be their right. It is not the slabbers fault if he is trying to fill a demand for his product or service. The key to the problem that I see is to resolve the problems caused by the unfair tactics used by some dealers to clean up with the collectors. Many dealers are practicing in these tactics even without the influence of slabbing. Problems like hoarding and destroying or defacing chips to make the remaining ones more rare and valuable. Cornering the market and selling at unfair high prices is another problem.

If we can act to preserve the availability of chips to collectors at fair prices than we need not fear those that would slab or grade a few of them. Different levels of collectors will still have access to a supply of chips. Remember, unlike baseball cards, concert tickets or other items, the retail primary market on casino chips is regulated. The casino cannot capitalize on market prices and charge more for a $5 chip than $5. Gaming regulations would forbid that. Therefore, by working with the casinos to establish fair practices for distributing chips, at the cage, would counter the ability of one or two dealers to hoard the supplies of a release and drive up their price. Limiting the sale to so many chips and finding a way to combat the dealers that recruit surrogates to buy more than their share would be a great start. If 750 were the issue of a given LE than perhaps a casino could take 250 chips and mix them in with the racks at their tables. Then they could limit sales to 25 or 50 at the cage to guarantee ability for many to get chips. If an individual can’t get one or two at the cage than they still have a chance to win a couple at the tables. That would even be good for the house in that it would be a device to attract some to the tables where they are actually more likely to loose money than win it. Maybe increasing the sizes of editions is possible too. I do not agree, however, with the proposal that dealers make advance orders and the casino mint their chips accordingly. The house has many reasons for limiting their editions. It may be marketing or economics or, maybe, even gaming regulations. It should be left to the casino to decide on their own how many chips they will make.

As a collector for enjoyment not investment, I would like to add that, as has been said here before, there is some charm of a battle worn chip or a rescued LE that I have picked up from the tables. These are the cheapest and sometimes most prized chips in my collection. For example the $1 slot token from TI actually gets nicer with age. With the bag marks and nicks and dings it actually looks like I dug it up in a sunken pirate ship.

I have ranted and rambled long enough. I could still go on but I have already spent a few bucks more than two cents. Thank you for hearing me out and if you disagree please educate me rather than flame me. I am already burned enough from cooking dinner.