Stu,i dont usually get involved with debates. For one im just not good at it. I will say that i hate to see anyone not having a good time here, and you havent appeared to happy in many of these threads. I dont say that just on this topic but there was another topic that had you upset a week or so ago. To me this hobby is about the chips! Not just the chips but the hunt of the chips, learning about where they came from, what was the place like that they were played at, that kind of stuff. I like a lot of others just learned about the upcomming increase. Im VERY new in the club but i trolled this board for close to a year before i joined. I remembered the first time i posted i was trying to get rid of a home box set of Binions chips. The girl who sold them to me at the Horseshoe and said that the Horseshoe was no more after a week and they would be worth alot of money. So being a greedy ass i put em on ebay. I took a $120 loss on the box (plus other chips) in the lot i had put up. I remember thinking to myself "why did i put those chips up for sale" and felt bad. I had put together a small little collection that i enjoyed and now they were gone! So with no chips left at all i started over. I then and there said this HAS to be for pure fun for me. On your site you appear to have that same "drive" for chips that im talking about. I think maybee you get to deep into alot of these issues which pulls ya away from why your here to begin with. For example in the last weeks long thread you were very upset over somone not saying "i was wrong". It had you upset and what im trying to say is THAT AINT CHIPPING, its just not having a good time. I personally get along with people and dont get to deep into anything that keeps me from what drives me here and in this club..."CHIPPING!!!. When i joined i was and still am on a mission, and you could of told me dues are $100 a year and i would of been like "ya ok here ya go, now whos got some chips for sale". So i finally join. then a week or so later i get this big package and my membership card i thought WOW i thought i only got the card i was too focused on wanting to be a part of something that made me so happy to realize there were some other "Perks". Im not saying you shouldnt question something you do not agree with but after you question see what happens, mabee even follow up on it, but dont let this stuff get to where there is more debate on a chip board than chipping. I also think you have some of the folks here a little wrong. David for instance is not the "bad guy" or the "guy out for a buck"i belive ya think he is. He has private emailed me advise to help me without making me feel stupid. Heck just two days ago i emailed him for a chip. Isent a list of traders and told him if he didnt want any i would buy thiss chip. He emailed me back saying "there was nothing i wanted, im just going to send you the chip", i think if you give some people a chance they may suprise you. My last thought on the dues is, i understand i make $30k a year. Got a $1k a mounth mortgage and a wife and two kids, so i understand about the dues being an issue. If it would help, i will pay your next years due myself. I just hate the heated contriversy going on and want the good time threads to take over!! You know like the "Mr Splashbar WOOOOOOOOOO" and those "spring cleaning all chips $7 shipped" type threads

TC- Von