We are the victims of our own popularity.

The more people that join the hobby the fewer quality chips there are to go around.

And, as the median age of the collectors involved decreases, the longer the cycle of chips leaving and returning to market. If a sixty year old buys a chip, it will probably be locked into his collection for 5-15 years before returning to market. If a thirty year old buys a rare/quality chip, it is unlikely to return to market in less than 30-40 years.

More and younger collectors equals a real scarcity of good chips on the market.

If you want to add a little interest to the chip market, die off so the wife can sell your collection.