Unless you have an exclusive arrangement with someone from another area to trade with, it is usually easier to buy/sell rather than trade. For example, a new chip comes out in Vegas that a local from there would like to trade for a new chip that just came out from AC that I have. If I'm the first to contact this person, the trade will then be easy. If I'm not first, unless the Vegas collector wants more than one of the AC chip, I'm pretty much out of luck for a trade. The Vegas collector may have many dupes so he/she then offers the chip to me for $8. I buy it. Now a riverboat collector contacts me about my AC chip and wants to trade. Since I don't collect RB chips, I cannot make a trade but offer my AC chip for $8. He/she buys it. And so on, and so on and so on. Most in the hobby seem now to still trade but they trade cash for chips and chips for cash. Somehow, it still works out like a chip for chip trade but involves a bit more people and a few more transactions. Hope this helps answer your question.