Slabbing is paying a professional who claims to have superior knowledge to identify the chip, grade it's condition, and encase it in a sealed plastic "slab".

Many collectors are opposed to slabbing for a variety of reasons. I object to the practice because it adds another layer of expense to the hobby, and in the case of chips can be quite a significant part of it's value. My opinion is that the slabbers want to insert themselves into the hobby hoping for a piece of the action in return for a service very few chippers think they need.

To pay the dealer for a chip, and then pay a large fee for someone else to identify it and grade it, seems redundent and wasteful. Especially so since the grader will not guarantee his identification or be responsible for a missing a repaired chip.

Additionally, most of the world's real casino chip experts hang out on the ChipBoard and virtually all of them are more knowledgeable than the graders who work for the slabbing companies. They also don't charge $30 to $50 for an opinion or their advice. We are lucky to be a part of a hobby that is, in large part, scrupluously honest and has extraordinarily generous and open members.

Plus, I don't want my chips stuck between two pieces of plastic. I like to feel them - to feel and relive their history. And, I like to arrange and rearrange them in displays. You can't do any of this with a slabbed chip. Frankly, I think it's ruined coin collecting and I don't want it to ruin chip collecting.

If you look at professionally slabbed notes and coins, the item is graded in 1% increments. There isn't a single person amongst us who can't personally grade to the CCGTCC guidelines, which is adequate for most chippers. But, as in anything else, you're left free to develope your own scale, with perhaps 1/2% increments, for your own purchases. But, I wouldn't expect you'll get many chippers to go along with it.

My personal opinion is that slabbing is being introduced into the hobby from outside, not for the benefit of the hobby or its members, but for the benefit of the people who will declare themselves experts, and, accordingly, charge a heavy fee to do so.

I, for one, will not support this in any way, shape, or form. I don't mind paying good money for a good chip (and ultimately I'm responsible for setting the value of the items I buy), but I won't give one red cent to pay for what I consider ruining a chip.

Well, you asked.