These auctions are being offered on e-Bay by seller 'aboncom'. Star Grading Service (SGS) have recently slabbed some Casino silver strikes. They appear to be one and the same person.

I have been collecting "Silver Strikes" since they were first introduced in 1992 and this person/company is the first ever to start slabbing/grading/authenticating them and selling them on e-Bay.

This person/company does NOT know what they are selling. They are even using a CHIP grading scale to grade a metal token which should be closer to a coin grading scale. Also, according to e-Bay's "Opinions, Authentication & Grading" webpage, I challange you to attempt to have this "casino token" graded by any of the listed companies. They don't grade Casino Chips or Tokens.

Aboncom's first auction was a slabbed Circus Circus silver strike that appeared on e-Bay (#6133840130) showing completely incorrect information that it was a 'chip' manufactured by 'Chipco'. Aboncom offered an apparently worthless COA with the item guaranteeing its authenticity. "Chipo" only manufactures casino chips and has NOTHING to do with the Silver Strike program ran by "International Gaming Technologies". At first the COA shown in the e-Bay listing related to the item but it was later changed to a blank pro-forma. The auction was later stopped after some of the collectors from Thechipboard.com message board informed them of the errors. Also, SGS/aboncom then changed the slab insert with the chip to reflect some changes however, still innacurate.

You can find two CIRCUS CIRCUS slabs offered by aboncom captured pictures here.

http://home.comcast.net/~nhavens/compare.jpg

Almost immediately the seller offered a Cactus Petes silver strike, (#6134053311) describing it as a token this time but with a misleading 'Circa 1880' description on the slab although the token clearly states on it "Circa 1860"

Not only does the slabber/seller apparently know nothing about these items they are selling, there is a dangerous conflict of interest by selling their own graded goods.

In this regard, the Circus Circus token first presented for auction was one with a set of six tokens minted and there was also a matching "Chipco" set of casino chips manufactured and this is where I believe the seller got their information regarding the token, from a casino chip guide NOT a Silver Strike guide.

Here is an image of the matching chipco chip.

http://home.comcast.net/~nhavens/ccec4.jpg

Regarding the second current Silver Strike token auction on e-Bay, the seller is still using a their own unknown NON recognized "CHIP" Grading Scale to give it a grade. However, as I also started collecting chips before I started silver strikes, I've NEVER seen this grading scale and it is NOT an approved grading scale used by collectors of the Casino Chips and Gaming Tokens Collectors Club (CC>CC - of which I am a member). Their grading scale is listed on their website here,

http://www.ccgtcc.com/education/conditions.pdf

Now I note a third auction by this seller (#6134475205) which is a Bill's Casino Silver Strike. Still again calling it a "Casino Token" and using a casino chip grading scale.

ALSO OF MAJOR NOTE - E-BAY OVER THE YEARS HAS CREATED A SPECIAL CATEGORY FOR THESE SILVER STRIKES - "STRIKES" Under the category of Casino where you will find mainly only "Silver Strikes". Casino has another category for "TOKENS"

The slabs themselves do not appear to be 'sealed containers' and if that is the case then the items described could be switched. The slabs are just held closed by sticky labels.

Also I urge e-Bay to read their forum regarding this seller,

http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jsp?forum=8&thread=410335777&start=-16&msRange=40

and see what some of the recent buyers are saying about this seller.

As we see here, on the e-Bay forum page it's in this Seller's BEST interest to grade at higher grades than would be given by the grading/authenticating companies endorsed by e-Bay.

I would greatly appreciate it if e-Bay would look into creating a consumer protection rule similar to the conduct code in the FAQ section of e-Bay's "Opinions, Authentication & Grading" where the last paragraph has a sentence that reads.

"The authenticators have also pledged not to buy or sell on Bay's core site, thus keeping them out of competition with the very buyers and sellers they are serving."

I would perfer that there be something along the lines that Seller's can only sell item graded/authenticated by an independent company that they have no direct or indirect association with.

I would expect to see e-Bay BAN this seller from selling any of their OWN graded/authenticated/slabbed "CASINO CHIP, CASINO TOKENS and CASINO SILVER STRIKES". This seller is just trying to scam the new uninformed collectors by slabbing/grading/authenticating Casino Silver Strike Tokens to which this seller has NO knowledge of and doesn't even know the difference between a Casino Chip or Casino Token or Casino Silver Strike. YES, the is a difference between a Casino Token and a Casino Silver Strike. The tokens this seller is selling are called Silver Strikes which the term SILVER STRIKE is owned by "INTERNATIONAL GAMING TECHNOLOGIES" which runs the casino Silver Strike programs. Casino Silver Strikes cannot be played back into the machine they are won from as they are dispensed by the slot machine encased in their own plastic holder. They must be redeemed at the cashier's cage for their face value. On the other hand a Casino Token is playable back into the slot machine it was won from and can even be played by the player on the gaming tables whereas a Casino Silver Strike usually cannot.

As for aboncom and Star Grading Company being one and the same here's my proof.

I checked stargrading.org whois Internet information and here's what is revealed.

(edited)
Registrant Name:Larry Bence
Registrant Organization:Star Grading Service
Registrant Street1:115 Park Ave West
Registrant City:Mansfield
Registrant State/Province:OH
Registrant Postal Code:44902
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.4195225346
Registrant Email:lbence@abon.com

Admin Name:Larry Bence
Admin Organization:Star Grading Service
Admin Street1:115 Park Ave West
Admin City:Mansfield
Admin State/Province:OH
Admin Postal Code:44902
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.4195225346
Admin Email:lbence@abon.com

Next I checked abon.com whois Internet information and here's what is revealed.

Registrant:
Abon Limited
115 Park Ave. West
Mansfield, OH 44902
US
419-522-5346

Domain Name: ABON.COM

Administrative Contact:
Sparks, Eric esparks@abon.com
115 Park Ave. West
Mansfield, OH 44902
US
419-522-5346