I wasent planning this tip till further down the line, but I thought I should just throw it in now as it related to yesterdays tip on Condition.

Newby Tip of the Day # 8

Beware of Old Chips in Unused Condition

There is an old saying that I heard many years ago that goes, "Show me a mint condition chip and I will show you a box of them !!!!"

What that means is that usually when there are chips found in pristine condition, that means that they were never on the tables and chances are, there are more in that condition (And maybe a LOT more). More often thank not, when a 20+ year old chip shows up in perfect condition, it came directly out of a box. What this means is that the chip in question may not be as rare as it once was thought to be.

Now this information is not always accurate as there can be several other reasons for a "Mint" condition chip or token to surface. What if it was owned by a Casino Manager and was stuck away in a drawer for many years, or possibly a sample that somehow managed to escape being notched.

I also wanted to mention that this tip does not apply to recent chips as one would expect last years Hooters or Hard Rock chip to be in perfect shape. I am specifically referring to those older chips that should have seen a lot of table play.

All I am trying to say, is be weary of chips you see on Ebay for sale in "New" condition as many times those chips and tokens are about to become a lot less rare than the guide books tell you they should be.

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

Happy chipping to all

Doug