Hey, Walter,

You asked a question "Did I do anything wrong?", which everyone else has studiously avoided answering.

I'm sorry if I come off as the bad guy here, but IMHO, yes you did something wrong.

There is nothing wrong with harvesting chips, I've done it myself. I operate on the principle that of you don't ask, they can't say no.

But when it becomes an issue, they know you are harvesting chips and tell you "NO. You can't take those."
Then, IMHO, your are obliged to comply with their wishes and return the chips.

Your confrontational 'in your face attitude' can have nothing but negative consequences for all chippers.
The dealer that you confronted and outwitted(?) is not going to forget the incident, ever.
The next time he encounters someone wanting to harvest chips it is highly unlikely that he will be cooperative.

Yes, you 'scored', you got what you wanted, but at what cost to your fellow chippers?

Sorry if I sound harsh, but you did ask(which implies to me that you were already thinking that you may have made a mistake).

Have fun