Dick; You didn't mention where the chips are from that you are contemplating purchasing. Price guides vary significantly from juristiction to juristiction. I can tell you (and others) as an author of a catalog on Puerto Rico chips that was published back in 1999, that those estimates are way, way, off base for the most part by today's standards. Many, many chips that collectors of Puerto Rico chips paid back then were way overpriced when compared to what many of the same chips can be purchased for today.

On the other hand, quite a few of the chips listed in that same catalog would be bargains today at full price guide prices.

I would also suspect (generally speaking) that brass-core chip values have been been dramatically affected downwards during the recent controversy surrounding that specific subject matter. I doubt very much if the Hard Rock brass cores could be sold today at last year's levels as an example.