Fred, We've been collecting for about 25-27 years, I think. My first trip to Nevada was in 1981. I swiped ashtrays from Las Vegas and Reno and Tahoe, as souvenirs...and to use, because I smoked back then. I moved, and the ashtrays were packed into a box that didn't get unpacked...it just stayed in the basement. Vacations to Nevada continued.

One time...around 1994-1995 we were at a local flea market. There was a Joe W. Brown's Horseshoe Club, Las Vegas, ashtray. I asked my hubby (but we weren't married yet) who was Joe W. Brown? I thought Benny Binion opened the Horseshoe Club, and always owned it?? We bought the ashtray, and tried to figure it out, with no luck. Then we kind of forgot about it.

A year or two later we were at a local antique/collectible show and found a postcard that showed the Horseshoe's million dollar display...and it said Joe W. Browns....??? We bought it.

To shorten the story a bit, the next time we were in Las Vegas we saw the Casino Ashtray Book, in the Gambler's General Store. It had the story that Benny Binion had to serve time, for income tax evasion, and he sold the Horseshoe to Joe W Brown. I had to buy the book, to get that story!!

When we got home I looked up the 1981 ashtrays and several were valued at $12-$15...wow!! I loved the stories and the bits of history that were in the ashtray book...and my husband did too. So we started keeping stuff that we found on our trips, and we bought stuff at flea markets and antique/collectible shows, and Bob Matthews used to set up at shows around here and we bought some ashtrays from him, and a few chips...and he gave us an application for the CCGTCC, and I decided to join.

We didn't used to take our camera with us. One time I read something...maybe one of Phil's articles...that said when you travel around Nevada you need to take pictures...just in case no one else does! So I started taking my camera. And you've seen the results of that one Joe W Brown ashtray....