I have waded through the many comments in this thread and finally decided to voice my comments.

Off hand I do not remember the year I joined, but it was over 10+ years ago. I primarily collect currency and chips were an extension of my collection. I discovered the Chipboard due to a question I had about a jeton, Greg Susong was the first person who I ever talked with about chips and he directed me to John "Banana Man" Benedict. It was not long before I joined the club.

What's the difference in the Chipboard and the CCGTCC board? One is a rather sterile board, and I have no problem with it's sharper focus on chips than the Chipboard. Greg had the right idea when he created the Chipboard in that it is a SOCIAL setting where anything can be discussed or debated. I have seen and been a part of many of these blood pumping threads. Also, I have seen many threads of sympathy, compassion and well wishes. Add to that sales pitches, hawking of eBay listings, and the hole gambit. There have been shysters, frauds, trolls, and other types filter through over the years. Sandwiched in all of this is a common thread of chips and 'real people' in a casual setting discussing the hobby they love.

Many times people have objected to the sometimes 'free-for-all' that occurs, but it always settles back down to what it is and always has been, a social setting for chip collectors. Greg Susong had a great vision and insight to what makes this board great. David Spragg is a man who shares this insight and understands what Greg intended so many years ago.

Are the collectors diminishing, is the hobby dying? Absolutely not. People are going to collect whether there is a club or not. Is membership shrinking? Maybe. Will it return? Maybe. Do we need more members? Yes. It is good financially and educationally to have a central place for information, contacts, discovery, and keeping up with what is happing in the Chip collecting world. A loss of that would hurt all collectors, Members or not. Non-members benefit from member as well. The economy has had both good and bad and impacts, that is to be expected and we have no control over it.

My collecting interest wean and wane as many others do. It has been stated, and I agree, you cannot 'make' a collector that is not already interested. The key is finding those who have the interest already. Exposure is key.

I disagree that a 'browser' is turned off by eBay solicitations, prices of Walmart bananas, and other bantering. It shows the 'human' and personal side this board has achieved. I have many 'friends' here. Steve Bedo, Cigarman, Bananna man, Ralf The Car nut, Phyllis and her humor, Archie, Tremble, Spragg, and the list just goes on forever. I have followed Lauran Susong, Bedo's daughter, Shoop's endless grandson's pictures (LOL), Von's 'Christmas Pole' thing, Jill Bitner's urinal insert collection (LOL) and her "Pleeeeeeessse", where on earth can I get all this with my chipping interest? That my friends, is the value of this club, and Susong's vision.

I have collected currency for over 50++ years and met people from every corner of the earth, but never have I felt like a part of 'family and friends' as I have here. Again, that is the true value of what CCGTCC is.

I do not disagree with any of the posts above, I see them as other's points of view and I respect them all as valid.

The above thoughts are mine only, Coco R-5171¼ is asleep dreaming of Bacon Strips & selling MY chips, and has no opinion. LOL

This post is in Memory of Aaron Peacock and his very long verbose post!