Tip of the Day #5

Be an Informed Buyer

In this ever changing world of chip & token values this is harder than it seems. However the more information you are armed with, the better off you will do on your future purchases.

There is nothing worse that buying what you thought was an R-10 chip worth $500 and later finding out that there was a box recently found and they are actually worth closer to $50 now. Believe me it has happened to all of us including the most seasoned collectors.

While this situation can never be completely avoided there are some things you can to to limit your exposure to this problem.

How do you learn what has changed since the guides were written? I don't know every way, but here are a few:

1) Use the tools available to you on . Search descriptions for similar items to see if others have been sold and for what price. Search past histories of that seller to see if maybe he has sold that same chip before and maybe even numerous times before. Chances are if that seller has sold 5-10 of that same chip then it is no longer the rarity that is shows in the guides......

2) Watch for posts on this board. Many times people post questions about recent finds and many of those are discused on threads right here.

3) Ask Questions. Both of the seller as well as right here on the board. There is a multitude of knowledge right here on the board and many times you can be made aware of "finds" before you shell out big bucks on an item. You may also ask the seller how many he has for sale?

4) Try and deal with CC & GTCC members if possible. Those members are regulated by the code of ethics and should be held to those accordingly. It is against the code of ethics to withold information on a find from less knowledgable chippers in the effort to make additional profit. I know some will argue this point with me as there are a lot of members who are in "Business" to make a profit, but far more often than not, you will get better information from a member than you will elsewhwere.

5) Use the Guide Books. As stated before, you them as a guide and not a final price point, but they are a great place to start.

The more informed you are, the less chance you will be taken advantage of on a chip or token and the more pleasurable your collecting experience will be.

Keep ypour eyes and ears peeled for more Tips of the day coming tomorrow.

Happy chipping to all

Doug