Ok... Maybe I shouldn't jump in here but I am going to. I would like to start by saying "I really like you Pam” and no offense is meant by this post. .

I don't think there is anything wrong with this auction. The seller is not going into graphic detail about what has happened or what the people are going through down there. From his words he is inferring that the Casinos were destroyed which is, from what I have heard, a fact. And he also lists them as 'rare' but this board has been down that road before, so I won't go into that. As I see it he is offering a chip for sale on eBay, and he started it at a reasonable price. The bidders have chosen to pay the amount the chip is going for. This is what we do, we collect chips. These chips have a historical significance behind them. To me this is preserving gaming history. Katrina and the aftermath isn't a pleasant history but then again, neither was the mob run Vegas era if you ask those affected in a negative way.

This reminds me of an interesting story. On 9/11 I was getting ready for work when I turned on the TV and saw what was going on. I knew what I was seeing was huge, something that I would never forget. I called my girlfriend, (now my wife) and told her what I was on TV. She said "I heard... Don't be late for work." This blew me away. I asked her if she realized how huge this was and informed her I was going to stay home to watch the coverage. She replied with the simplest most dead on answer I think I have ever heard. She said, "That's ridiculous, what would happen if everyone stayed home from work today?" I grabbed my coat and I left, because she was 100% correct. If no one went to work that day, there would be no hero's, there would be no police (anywhere) and there would be chaos throughout the country, the likes of which we have never seen before. The point of the story is that we have to keep on doing what we do. We are all a part of something bigger than what we see as our lives. We are a working part in the greatest country in the world, and with that we have responsibilities.

Now granted, something as minor as casino chips don't make the world go round, but when would it be acceptable to sell chips from that area? Would using the word "obsolete" be disrespectful? At some point we have to help where we can and move on. Someone had to be the first to sell it on eBay after the tragedy. I say the sooner the better. Recoup, rebuild, and keep moving forward.

Much love to all,

Tom Hanson R-6618

****Sorry for the long post, I have never expressed my beliefs on the board before and I promise I will keep it to chips whenever I can. I just felt compelled to post this.****