...is not what I ever said, Archie. In your specific example, they destroyed all remaining inventory. By that I would reasonably assume that if I redeemed mine, it would then be destroyed, not put in a future fill. I would therefore assume it to be obsolete.

But, if it would be reasonable to expect that my Atlantic City LE, currently sold out at the casino, would go in a fill or otherwise be made available to collectors or used in the casino after I turn it in, it ain't obsolete. Even if the casino has none today. Here's definition, from the archives:

A chip is obsolete if it is not "in use" for any purpose at the casino, and is not available for sale to the general public at the casino, and would not be used for any gaming purpose or be for sale IF there were any at the casino.

The definition is based on the casino's INTENT towards the chips, not their current availability. The complexity comes in identifying a casino's intent. Sometimes it's absolutely clear, sometimes it's not, and some casinos are not readily forthcoming with their intent, and some casinos have been known to change their intent.

You simply cannot base it on simple availability, or simple redeemability. That simply makes no sense. Circus Circus in Reno, for example, will redeem every chip they ever used, as a courtesy to their patrons. Doesn't make those old hot stamp chips current. I find old sold-out LES back in the cage at Peppermill every so often. Were they obsolete when they sold out, not obsolete when someone turned one in, obsolete again when I bought them? By that definition, obsolete is an entirely unusable concept.