I thought I would share this e-mail that I rec'd. It would only be fair to the others that participated in the other threads.

----- Original Message -----
From: James Campiglia
To: scott_tracy_tatiana@sympatico.ca
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2001 11:35 PM
Subject: Re: The book online

Hey Scott,
What is your problem with me? Believing everything you hear that is not from the horse's mouth is not a very smart practice.

Why the attacks?

I have never slabbed a chip.

If I was to or anyone else that is strictly their business. Maybe you will want to think badly of them because of what they have done as you think it will ruin our hobby. The small amount of slabbing that has been done I do not believe could hurt anything. A coin shop in Vegas has some chips. He is looking for another market to sell to.

You people have not been around in this hobby that long to see all the changes that have naturally happened. Prices have gone up drastically. Without slabbing. I believe that I have made an affect on prices. Is that so bad? Just because people now regard a better condition chip to be worth more money is not all bad, not at all.

Have you read my grading system?

James Campiglia

My Response:
I am not attacking you and I never said you slabbed a chip. You wrote: "You people have not been around in this hobby that long to see all the changes that have naturally happened" WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!! I was joining in a thread that I felt I wanted to comment in. You started by being rude to Brien when he asked you a very simple question. Which you have yet to answer. Then you dance around the subject like a politician that needs to win some votes. This is yet another attack by you against what you perceive maybe a new chip collector. I have collected chips for over twelve years. Yes I am new to the BB and The CCGTCC but I am not new to collecting. I have watched what slabbing has done to the coin and card industries and the reason that slabs are there is because the clubs were not unified in the fight to stop the slabbing from coming.
Have I collected since I was 16 years of age? no, do I have over 25,000 chips in my collection that half of which are for sale at shows? no, have I co-authored a book that is called "official"? no, do I love my hobby and not in it for profit or gain YES. When I first read about you and your collection I commented to my wife that this guy must be some kind of chip collecting god. I was excited that I would be able to view your collection at the convention, but now that I see your true arrogant colors I think I'll pass right on by due to your obvious lack of respect for what your perceive to be new chip collectors.
Further with regards to your grading system that is now also ICG's system, the grading that you have used is very similar to the system used for coins with the letters and words changed around to chip. ie: chipstate : mintstate. MS, AU etc etc... Pretty much a no brainer just change things around a little and call it yours. With that said it is not needed in this hobby you can't possibly think that there needs to be this many grades for chips and if you do then have it in your own little world. Your grading chart was all the ammunition that ICG needed to introduce the slabs to chip collecting.
You have said that "I am the most knowledgeable person on chips" I can't argue that but it sounds pretty arrogant. I don't understand why you are rude to the new guys on the board. We are your future customers and with as many chips as you have for sale you would think from a business standpoint you would welcome new customers not make them go away. In closing I would like to reiterate that you need to answer the questions that are asked of you. What are you afraid of ? if you ignore the answers the guilt only becomes more evident. Here's the question in case you forgot. "Did you give ICG permission to use your name on the grading chart.???"
I will add one also, do you support the slabbing of chips using your grading system???
Finally , I have not read your grading system, I have looked at the chart that ICG produced and I don't like it. I was planning on buying your book at the convention as well as several others that I would like but I think yours is out of the equation now. I will use the TCR as this seems more like the publication of choice. Maybe if there is one with Canadian casino chips I'll buy it also. Please try to answer these questions promptly as I have to go get my 3 year olds chip collection started so when she joins the club you won't be able to call her new and be rude to her.

Sincerly Yours
Scott Blackburn