Baccarat chips can be purchased just as any other house chip can. They are redeemable and the casino doesn't care if you take them home. They really like it when you take home the $25,000 baccarat chips [g].

Some casinos use the same oversize chips on the mini-baccarat tables and some use standard size table chips. I believe Mandalay Bay uses the oversize on the small game.

If there is a $1 oversize as at London Club, they are usually reluctant to have you walk with them as there aren't that many made. I've wondered why they don't make more as they are still profitable for the club to 'sell'.

Regarding purchase at the cage rather than at the table, some clubs have the baccarat in a high-stakes area with its own cashiers cage. You may have to go to the cage there to buy. It's never a problem to buy from a table though. I usually pick one that doesn't have an active game.