For those ChipBoard readers interested in the performance (or lack thereof) in slabbed chips, Sahara Coin has put 9 slabbed chips + 1 unslabbed chip up for auction on , all ending next Sunday night. All started with a $1 minimum bid, so I expect that most/all will sell. The key question is: with all the slabfree chippers on the sidelines, will the final bids meet/exceed the amounts these same unslabbed chips from another seller would have realized?

I'll bookmark this post and recap the results next week after the auctions end.

The 3 key chips are the Wilbur Clark Desert Inn $1 chip ($300 low-TCR) and the 25c Horseshoe arodie ($250 low-TCR, but more like $200 in the market today). Also, the $100 CP "George Burns" is cashable for $100 and is $150 low-TCR. The others are $15-$60 chips @ low-TCR values. (So much for they myth that only rare, high-value chips would ever be slabbed!!!)

If these were offered unslabbed & by another seller, I would be a bidder on a few of these. As it is, I'll just watch and hope that the message that slabbing is UNECONOMIC for chip dealers...in addition to all the other negatives...will be evident when these auctions close.

The cumulative low-TCR values for all 10 chips is $930, plus the cost of slabbing 9 chips ($90+). At auction, I'm estimating that these chips would sell for a total of $700-$800, in unslabbed condition. For this actual group of 10 chips, I'd make the line at $475 and take the under. (Which would be a poor result, IMO). Any other guesses? Check back in a week, for the actual results.

Also, just a guess, but since all of these chips are in the B-C-D range of the alphabet, "Slabhara" Coins may be unloading his slabbed chips on in stages. Watch for more in the weeks to come??

If you want to see the individual auctions, they are:

1. Wilbur Clark's Desert Inn $1 (TCR-N4126, low TCR=$300)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059382423

2. [Unslabbed] Horseshoe 25c (arodie with bldg. inlay) (TCR-N9971, low TCR=$250)
BTW, I don't know where he gets the "book value" of $1200 in his description. It's an "R" value chips ($250-$299) in TCR-8 and valued at $150-$300-$450 in the C&W book.
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059382445

3. Caesars $100 "George Burns" (TCR-N4680, low TCR=$150)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059382348

4.Caesars $5 (TCR-N1388, low TCR=$20)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059382275

5. Carousel $25 (TCR-N1422, low TCR=$15)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059382208

6. Carousel $100 (TCR-N1417, low TCR=$40)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059382231

7. Big Red's $5 (TCR-N-0895, low TCR=$50)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059380877

8. Boulder Club $5 (TCR N-1377, low TCR=$20)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059382170

9. Desert Inn $5 (TCR-N4518, low TCR=$$25)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059382438

10. Dunes $500 (TCR-N4677, low TCR=$60)
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1059382368