1. Many collectors selling off collections cheap.
2. E-bay sales and prices down, to the lowest numbers in years. (high end chips are the exception)
3. Various hobbies become very popular, then go cold and unpopular. Chipping is reaching a low.
4. Many sales are below face. I saw a e-bay auction for 16 1.00 vegas chips go for 9.00.
5. I know the economy is down, unemp. up and people have less extra cash, but this trend has been increasing for over a year.
6. Looking at 1.00 e-bay chip sales, few years ago about 33% of the listings sold, now about 10% sell.

All bad trends.

Not sure when these trends will turn around, for the true collector no problem, they only purchase or trade. The new issue dealers, and web site dealers, and full time dealers must be hurting.

I was in stamp collecting years ago, it's dead.Coin collecting years ago was really hot, then went down, but got saved by the state quarter issues, now popular again.

What dose chipping need? Keep in mind in ten years 15-20% of our club will be dead. In 20 yrs. 40-50% gone. What then? kids and grandkids are not interested! Maybe, when they get older they will be.

I'll tell you what I'm doing, Admittedly, a little burned out, I'm putting 100 racks of my chips (that's 10,000 chips), in 12 Priority mail boxes, packing tight and sealed real good. Storing in a cool safe place, and in my will leaving them to my six grand kids, not to be opened till they are all 45 years old. Maybe then they can enjoy, and become collectors, if not at least I tried.

Anyother suggestions?

What are you going to do with your collection when you are gone? Remember most wives thro the old mans stuff out, remember what your Mom did with your collections as a kid!