Thanks Keith!

My first trip to Las Vegas was in 1981. As I went to different casinos I sort of acquired some ashtrays. And I saved about two chips (I really wanted to save more as "souvenirs", but thought that would be like saving cash as a souvenir...who knew!?) I smoked back then and used the ashtrays for a few years, before packing them into a box in the basement.

Several years later (early 1990's) we found/bought a "Joe W. Brown's Horseshoe Club" ashtray at a flea market, for a quarter. Wondered who Joe W Brown was, because we thought Benny Binion always owned the Horseshoe. Tried to research in in a few books we had, but came up empty and kind of forgot about it. Later we found a postcard of the $1 million display, and IT said "Joe W. Brown's". Who was that Joe W Brown guy??? Sent a copy of the postcard to Barney Vinson (author of one or two of our Vegas books), and he replied...telling us only that Joe W. Brown did, indeed, run the Horseshoe for a few years.

Went to Las Vegas shortly before we got Mr. Vinson's reply. Went into an antique shop and saw the same ashtray that we'd bought. Asked a clerk if she knew anything about it. She said "no, but I know someone who will know!" She went and got a guy from the back and we asked him. He said "Wait here, I have something to show you!!" And he ran up some stairs, and came back with a Joe W. Brown boxed Craps game. He told us about Benny doing time, and Joe W Brown running the Horseshoe during those years. He told us that he used to play with Benny's kids, and he'd helped them "stuff" the Craps game boxes. I loved hearing the bit of history! A couple of days later we were in the Gambler's General Store and I saw a book about Casino Ashtrays. I picked it up to look at it...and look up the ashtrays that we'd picked up in 1981, and the Joe W Brown story was in the book!! And there were other cool stories! I had to have that book!!

So...after spending $20 for a book, to get the story of our .25 ashtray, we started collecting casino ashtrays. I loved the ashtrays, but also loved knowing just a little bit about the casinos the ashtrays came from. Then my husband picked up a couple of chips. And a few more postcards. And a local flea market had a booth with a couple of guys who had their grandma's travel souvenirs...so we bought brochures, a show program, a menu or two, and other paper odds & ends...and by then the snowball was rolling down the slippery slope.