You are right about needing updates, and I'm working on a way to do this as an attachment and not redoing the actual book. I've already been asked how I could price a Riviera (NJ) chip at $50 when I myself bid $280 for it last week?

The reality is that many times, it really is part of the motivation of the buyers and sellers. I bought a couple of the Riviera chips for that price at convention, and put all the chips at the same price. Apparently the colors I was missing were also missing by others and the price rose quickly. Of course, as is the case sometimes, the chip I bid $280 last week has a brother being auctioned off this week. Who knows how many are out there.

Another good example are the Floridian chips which were sold last week. At the time of the writing, I only knew one example of the 25 and 100 chips. As a result, I estimated the chip to be worth $500+ (not only one-of-a-kind, but also a crest and seal). The two chips went on ebay separately and sold for over $700 each. Last week, around 20 of each were sold in a lot for less than $100 each.

One thing people need to realize is that the illegal chipping community is smaller than other fields. The word "hoard" can apply to finding 10 chips. In many cases, 10 chips will make a $300 chip worth maybe $40. That is not usually the case with your Nevada collectors where 10 chips barely scratches the surface of collectors.

As a result, the price guide is just that, a price "guide". New finds and unknown market circumstances will certainly play havoc with prices. Take the advice with caution and never pay more than you want for a chip, regardless of what some book tells you it is worth. The true value is what one person will pay for a chip.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays.