Before we go "there" I think you should have called the seller on this and asked for a refund, rather than taking the loss.

Like others, I agree that it's up to you to do some research and know what you are buying.

I've seen chips for sale at shows, in the same book, the same dealer, one for $15 and the same chip for $2. I bought the $2 version. Personally I'd value that chip at about $7 as a price for an average buyer.

You can't compare a dealers price, book price and what something sells for at the club auction or on eBay and say one is right or the rest are wrong.

From what you write I tend to agree that the dealer took advantage of you, by charging top dollar for the chips.

I'd really like to hear the other side of this.

Why did you dump all the chips? If they are R-9 (there's another point of contention, are they really that scarce? Were they mis-represented?) then they would have gone up in value over the years.

Say I have a chip, that only two are known, but there's no one interested in buying one. Do you think I'm going to get $1,000 for it, or $20 for it?

Your chips, I wish you would write a list so we can deal with some specifics instead of guessing, may be high value and scarce, but there aren't many people with the means or desire to buy them. Therefore they will not bring "book" on eBay auctions. But the dealer has every right to ask that price for them.

How about this, list a few of the chips. List the price you paid and the price you sold them for. It doesn't make much sense to deal with complete hypothetical unknown R-9 chips, until we know what chips they were.

Sorry you feel poorly about the deal. I think I would as well. But believe me, I've overpaid for chips I wanted for my collection, some that others would say, why do you even want that? The chip collectors I know have been the most honest and sharing of any group of collectors I've come in contact with in my life.

Collect because you like something, not for an investment, and you'll never be unhappy.