I would caution against buying on eBay in the beginning, unless you have a focused collection and know what you're looking for. Most collectors start with the idea of collecting "all $1 chips in the entire universe," which is OK - but at a couple dollars a chip plus shipping it would quickly put you in the poorhouse.

If you already have some duplicate chips from casino visits, you would probably do better soliciting trades here. That way, instead of paying twice face value plus shipping, you will at least only be paying face value plus shipping. If you can trade three-for-three, you save even more on shipping.

"Twice face value" depends on the chip. If you were buying an obsolete $100 chip that often sells on this Board for $5, then I think you would agree that "twice face value" would indeed be a rip-off. Yet a $5 Sheryl Crow Hard Rock is easily worth eight times face. If you live near a casino, paying twice face value for chips you can get any time might not be a good deal. So it really depends on the chip - which is why guides are good, and following the action and discussion on the Chip Board is even better. Then you would have known why Atlantic City Playboy chips were suddenly flooding the market last year.