Mark, responding to your e-mail request, I am taking the liberty to answer on the board for you and all other newbies to see and hopefully to ponder over.

Personally, I am a collector and love this hobby with all my heart and sole. In that regard (as a collector only and not a dealer) if and when I sell chips it is usually for face value plus postage.

I advertise that I will sell chips-- if not at face--than as follows:

I will sell you chips at the same price you sell chips to everyone else. If you sell at face, I will sell chips to you at face. If you sell your $5.00 chip (for example) for $8.00, than I will sell you $5.00 chips for the same amount. If you include postage, I include postage. Get the idea??

This has worked wonders for me. I have been treated so well by other shippers and have been repaid many many many times over adhering to that policy.

In most cases, I am going to the casino anyway, usually to get chips for myself. What great effort does it really take for me to ask for 20 chips or 1 chip. And as far as the extra few minutes to address and mail the chips out is a pleasure for me and not an effort.

Remember now, I am a collector and not a dealer. A dealer, on the other hand, must make a profit. Using the example of the Las Vegas dealers (but not excluding the dealers in Reno, Atlantic City and Colorado,) they must be at the casino at the very time and day the chips are issued to take care of their customers. This takes a lot of work and are indeed entitled to their REASONABLE profit.

But if you insist that you must charge extra for the effort exerted on your behalf, then at least try to be somewhat consistant with others and you may be treated fairly in return.

Example:

For any fractional or $1.00 chip, $1.00 over face.
$2.50 chip, maybe $4.00
$5.00 chip, $7.00

Postage for 3 chips is only $0.55¢ and I always reuse the bubble wraps, but many time I will ask for $1.00 for the postage --Never more--unless the actual postage is more.

I, for one, would love to have a $0.50, $1.00 and $5.00 chip from the Mark Twain (and will eventually get them) but I cannot afford to overpay for them. There are many people living in your area who will be getting chips for us at the prices I have mentioned above. This is not to say that you can't get some people to pay your asking price. I'm sure you will.

But let me suggest another route for you to take. Assuming you are also a collector, why not just trade those chips to other for chips in their area? This way you can obtain chips for your collection for face as well.

Please take time to remember what many club member are forgetting. This is a hobby for most of us. Keep it a hobby and enjoy it. If you need some extra money, then go to casino to collect your chips but stay away from the tables and slots.

A dollar saved is worth much more than a dollar earned.

I hope this answers you question in a most polite way and hopefully will be helpful.