David E. wrote I noticed at the Tropicana that there were quite a few different $5 chips on the black jack table I was playing on.

What you saw at the Trop David, were some of Tropicana's Limited Edition (LE) chips. Several casinos use an opportunity like Christmas, Halloween or an in-house concert to issue a special chip commemorating the occasion. An ordinary house chip which forms the bulk of a casino's chip supply may exist in the tens of thousands at a casino but LE's are usually issed 300 - 3000 or so. Purely a promotion on the part of the casino but a real fun way for folks to be part of the hobby by acquiring LE's they like. Different ways to indulge in LE's, you can try eBay, peruse sales sites and hook up with some of the dealers who sell them through new issue services, get them off the tables yourself or purchse them at the casino cage. Join the club and participate in any trade sessions you can get to. Hang out here on the Chip Board for a while and you'll see chips you never know existed! Good luck David & Mrs. E.