A lot of our members are not really internet savvy, some don't even have easy access to the internet other than through neighbors or libraries & such. Many of these same members may have spouses or family that have no idea what these chips are worth, so leaving them in a will to them may be like adding some more "junk" to an estate sale or the garbage truck. A number of people have contacted me these past few years about who to contact about selling off their spouse's collection. And the only way the knew to contact me was by looking in the magazine or by the renewal notices we send out.
I, personally and NOT as a representative of the club's BoD, have put people in contact with them to either assist or offer them some ideas. It's amazing that in this age of instant information & knowledge, that there are those that either don't want to or can't access this information -- but that's the case with our hobby. I will tell you that about a year ago, a daughter of a member that had recently passed called to tell me her father had passed away & that I didn't need to send any more renewal notices. In this conversation, she also told me that her siblings had thrown away a bunch of chips & tokens from old casinos where they couldn't be cashed in any more, as well as other "junk" like plates, glasses, ashtrays, matches, etc...broke my heart.
My recommendation is to let your family (spouse, kids, aunts, uncles, etc...) know that there is some value in the collection of your weird little hobby.
Steve B
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