to his knowledge of those repairing chips and has been very open for many years that he owns repaired chips. But Gene is not a dealer...he's a collector and as such, I do not believe will sell his repaired chips but will keep them in his collection. And when I asked him over three years ago about obsolete Las Vegas chips, Gene offered his opinion that it would not be wise to spend alot of money on them because of both new finds and the repair issue.

In my opinion, the warning that Gene notes is just that -- a warning -- beware!! Would I like to know who the dealers are so I could avoid them...CERTAINLY!!! But naming names without concrete evidence or corroborated testimony would subject ANYONE to legal action and/or "hobby retribution".

I, for one, appreciate the fact that Gene has brought this to light and also appreciate the fact that he has stayed close enough to this issue (and those responsible for making repairs / alterations) to keep US ALL informed, although, maybe not to level that some would like.

I wish that there was a simple solution because this directly affects what I love to collect -- obsolete Las Vegas. My personal solution is to continue to ask those long-time collectors (including & especially Gene) for their opinions & suggestions. I trust who I trust and I will continue to value their opinions and suggestions. Steve B