Let me begin by saying I find the whole event entertaining. That may comeacross as mean or negative, but I don'tmean it that way. This is the kind of situation that law professors make up for law exams (lots of potential twists and legal issues), they 'never' happen in the real world, and are often laughed about over a few cold ones POST EXAM.

The idea that a very popular chip (one that has interest beyond chip collectors and a brand that has become popular in gaming again) becomes available because tens of thousands of chips are found in a dig in MS, and throw in the race to ebay, the local politics, police involved, it is just this side of the next bad comedy adventure.

The discussions here on this board have been primarily concerned with the chips and their value. I think Archie Black (who is as knowledgeable about AC chips as anybody) stated it very well below, there is concern among the investers, but the value will level off eventually. I have my $1 chip, and since I collect $1 chips, I am happy to be able toavoid the mess. I have said I would pay $1 a piece for the other chips to make a full set (nice set to hang in the office). I do think that the prices will go low because there are a lot out there, we will never know how many, but the discussion is in thousands (add the surpluses that dealers have) and it appears to be more than the whole market. In the future when by happenstance 3 or 4 PBs hit ebay at the same time, there will be renewed discussion that maybe somebody is trying to unload a stash they held onto.

Several of the folks in and around the dig have come on here to discuss the matter (and done so in a polite manner. I am impressed by that, if it was a group of crooks, they would not have done so, or would be attacking anybody who discusses it in a way they don't like (we've seen this before). I suspect the folks in the area are as entertained by this as I am.

Now if in the future somebody digs up a hole full of Stardust CICs, then get a bucket for our buddy shoop.