It is certainly true that these authors are chipdealers, but that is not making them inflate the values. I've gotten alot of chips from Spragg and he always gives me a good deal. Most of the time he just offers discounts on multiple purchases and he is constantly offering big sales on his chips or entire web site.

Ricky Pushkin is another good example, he isn't an author of one of the 2 main guides, but he is in the business. He offers great deals and is very fair and upfront with his pricing.

Bedo's point is right on. These are guides that the price point is constantly moving. You just buy what you want to collect at a price that you feel is worth that price. There are plentyof chips that I want, but havent found the right price yet. So I wait. There is also plenty of chips that I paid a price for that I've seen cheaper at a later date. I wasn't upset or thought the first guy robbed me. You pay the amount your happy with and it makes collecting fun. The hunt is part of the fun.