Just about everything you asked has been covered in the posts above.
I suggest that initialy you might want to concentrate on chips you can obtain locally as it will probably be cheapest.
It always makes sense to pick up extras for both trading purposes or a round robin you might want to participate in.

I would also like to say that don't look at the investment angle, at least not yet. There is a great difference as to what you may pay vs. what you may be able to sell for.
Think of this as a hobby, buy what you like and if it appreciates in value, consider it a bonus