Pretty much the same time the international banking crisis hit and the US went into its downward economic spiral that we are still recovering from. A lot of collectors at that time lost alot of equity in their investments and it caused a panic sell that reduced prices, especially for common chips. As time went on, sellers became more desperate, then buyers were refusing to buy unless there were deep discounts, and on and on and now we are where we are. No one knows if there will be a rebound. There is some data about the younger generations not being interested in collecting, and chip collectors have always tended to be older (many are no longer with us). So, more than ever, collect because you love it and collect what you like. Although many of the better chips have retained their value, many of the lesser popular areas for collecting have taken an especially hard hit: Colorado, South Dakota (from what I have seen), limited edition chips. I have always been a low-rent collector, so my collection has taken a serious hit in terms of value, but then again, I was never into it for that reason anyway. It was nicer when there were lots of people excited about getting new chips and expanding into new areas, but it's still a great hobby.

So, it's not a great time to be an investor, but it's a great time to pick up chips you may not have been able to afford 8 years ago. This is my take on it, anyway.

I hope this helps.

Michael Siskin