Based on your statements about not being able to satisfy everyone, I would have to say that when it comes down to it, maybe the casinos have to do what their experience says is best. They know how many they can sell, what denominations and the history of responses and complaints and demand. They know if any ill will has hurt their cash flow or the number of people who visit, which I would assume is insignificant since most people who play at a given casino don't care about their chip programs. They also know what the status of their books are and what their cash reserves can support. How many chips they have outstanding and how many they plan to or have recently recalled and retired.

While I would like to see everyone who wants a chip be able to get one fairly, I think it is unfair for anyone to expect that a casino should have to sit on excess chips or produce more than there is a demand for. If a casino decides to produce 750 or 1000 chips and put them into the racks at the tables that would be their choice based on their strategy for how they want to utilize them. In fact, if they want to attract people in to actually play games that would probably be their most ideal strategy. However that would require NISs and Dealers that I count on to have to pay more, maybe, to win them and would increase the cost to collectors like me. If they want to put a limit of 5 per person to allow more people to have access, than that is fine too. I am, however, one that does believe it is unfair to produce too few chips and offer them in unlimited quatities to select people so that they are not available to average collectors. I really believe that there has to be a magic number somewhere that would allow a certain number to be placed in the racks to promote play in the casino, a certain percentage to be held for limited releases at the cage and some for dealers and NISs to get some to sell to their customers who can't go to LV for every release. I however do not even pretend to know what those numbers are. The casinos though, with their marketing etc. have access to that information and are the best to make those decisions.

I recognize that it is the casinos perogative as to how they offer their chips. If a casino decides to offer their chips to select people and get rid of them fast and relieve themselves of the associated burden than, I guess, that is too bad. I will just have to decide, along with the other collectors, if I would do without one of those chips and perhaps refuse to even buy one on the secondary market. If the dealers and NISs can't unload them then they might return them to the cage. If the casino gets stuck with them they will evaluate their chip programs and adjust for the excesses they get stuck with. If the casino does permenently unload them and the secondary sellers sell out than it is an indication that enough collectors support the practice and are willing to buy under those conditions. If however enough collectors who couldn't get a chip are upset enough that they don't patronize a given casino or buy their chips than that market force will be felt down the line and the dealers etc. and casinos will eventually take notice.

Ultimately, the market will decide and the casinos will react and as unfortunate as it may be for ME, Thats the way it goes. As has been the case with other collectables that I have collected in the past, I will then have to re-evaluate my collecting and either quit? or change the emphasis of what I collect and if I can get what I want and be happy. Personally, it doesn't bother me that much. I buy what I like and can afford. If I am impressed by something I will be happy to pay what I feel is fair. If I can't afford it or feel it is unfair, I have no problem passing on it. I don't get angry or anything. To be honest, there are plenty of $1 and $5 house chips out there that I am just as happy with. In fact, to a certain point, I like the game worn quality of some chips and would be just fine with picking up those as souveniers of where I have been. That is how I started after all and it is actually more fun to win them.

I have mentioned a few times before that some of my favorite chips were those that I rescued from the tables and got during my yearly visits to LV. I think it would be great if the casinos took their extra LEs and commemoratives and put them in the racks. They will, either, ultimately walk and maybe a new collector will be born or they will be used and help the casino to generate that income and will be retired and destroyed with the other worn out chips. To me, it adds a demension to the games. Like getting 3-2 for only having a 15 when the dealer busts.