..."chip collecting was an expensive hobby, and that if I couldn't afford it I should get out. He was right, so I'm out." ... Jaffrey Brown R-7121

Every hobby can be expensive ... not all stamp collectors can afford upside down airplane or Graf Zepellin stamps ... not every coin collector can afford 1804 dollars. Owning a boat to satisfy a fishing hobby can be expensive. I'm sure that button collectors have their share of expensive items too. I know several "sports nuts" who shell out big bucks for major league season tickets and championship playoffs, etc. that can be quite expensive as well. Bowling several times a week in leagues ain't cheap! BUT, one does not have to go to the extremes to enjoy one's hobby. Sometimes we have to lower our sights to fit our wallets and if collecting current $1 chips satisfies that requirement, much enjoyment can be realized by limiting our purchases to what we can afford. Generally speaking, hobbies are not considered as good investments. Having said that ... over a long period of time, when it comes time to sell, sometimes some of our hobby purchases might return a premium over what we have paid.