First, the economy has been improving, certainly the DOW has. So, as people have more and more disposable income, they start to buy non-essential items again, such as collectibles. Second, the internet poker boom led to a poker boom at casinos. Where there are tons of people playing casino games, there are casino chips that go home, on purpose or otherwise. At some point, these people could come across those chips, get interested and start collecting in earnest. Then, they find us. It happens all of the time.

It has always been my guess that ChipTalk grew out of the poker boom, and the boom in home poker games. I have wondered how badly they have been hit by the recession and the black Friday shutdown of internet poker in the US (until recently, and even then, only in a few states). I hope they have weathered the storm well and rebound as well.

I welcome any other thoughts about the state of our hobby. I understand many are reluctant to say what they really think, for fear of scaring away new collectors and destroying our chances for a rebound, but reality is reality and there are certainly ways in which this hobby could thrive in the (hopefully near) future.

Hey, in my mind, preserving history is always a good thing.

Michael Siskin