Terry,

The Ebay situation has escalated prices in some areas of collecting and dropped prices in other areas. Essentially Ebay has become the "Stock Market of Collectible Prices." They are so huge and draw items from a world wide audience. Thus, they alter the supply and demand for any given item. Ebay has dramatically increased the supply available to the buying collectors and in many cases exceeded demand, resulting in lower prices.

Prior to Ebay and other online auction services, a collector had to go out and scrounge flea markets, junk stores, go to trade meets, and etc. It really was the thrill of the hunt. Now, from the comfort of your own home you can look at items for sale from a world wide audience. Where before we were limited to a certain geographical are to search for our treasures, we now are unlimited.

For example, I had about 115 old Railroad Kerosene Lanterns I sold a couple years ago. The real scarce ones sold for tremendous prices on Ebay. The average run of the mill Union Pacific, Southern Pacific type stuff sold for way less than what I could get by selling into a local market at live auction. All of my common lanterns would sell for $35.00-50.00 on Ebay. Locally, they would sell for 2 and 3 times that.

I suspect that what has happened to chip prices is partially a result of that and a little less robust economy. I am an ashtray collector and Ebay has definitely had that effect on trays. The chip collectors have a definite advantage over tray collectors in that through research it is often known how many of a given chip were made. There are records. With Trays it is just a guess. You have to figure the years open and make a guess as to how many might be around. Then the same thing happens with trays as does with chips. Someone discovers a whole passel of them in a basement somewhere and price goes in the drink.

I buy lots of rare trays from the east coast. It just amazes me how they made their way out there. Had it not been for Ebay and Email, I would have never had the chance to penetrate that market in my search for trays.

The solution in my opinion is to get more people involved in the collecting field. That is my hope with the ashtray web site. The chippers have a golden opportunity to increase your ranks with the great interest in Poker. Since the Poker Tournaments have been aired on TV millions have gotten interested in Poker. What a great time to get them collecting chips!!! More people get involved and chips sell into collections and there are less of them to be had. Supply goes down, Demand goes up, prices go up.

As to putting that time limit thing on the auctions, I don't see the point. As for the snipers, well I do it sometimes, and for different reasons. With the stuff that I sell I welcome them. It usually results in way higher prices than what I originally figured I would have got. I like the thrill of watching a good item that has sat at one price say, $100.00, suddenly zoom to $300.00 at the end with the snipers. I think the snipers pay more than they would have paid if they were playing on a level playing field.

Once again, just one man's opinion.

Mark