If my opinion matters, I have thought about what has been said on this board lately. It's not my intention to embroiled anyone and create animus among all the members -- who have voiced their ideas about selling items on this venue. Ever since I became a member years ago, I have purchased chips from trusted members knowing I would be receiving high quality items that would help my collection., and if I was unhappy, I could easily email the seller and be assured total satisfaction on both sides.

Here's what's being overlooked in this discussion:
Do you know how many of our collector friends have passed and all of us have mourned their loss, and offered condolences.? The culture of this organization suffers as these people have departed at a faster pace than new members have joined our ranks. I don't remember any of those who have gone before us to complain or object to a forum that allows members to show their chips, trade them or offer information that helps the entire collector base to learn new information. Our efforts should be discovering ways to attract new blood into this organization -- and bolster our recruitment efforts instead of trying to start conversations that are divisive, and without reflecting how it looks to a new member or prospective members.
I have attended every convention since becoming a member --. where I see not just sellers, but valuable friends that I converse with like family. If you check my early posts, I asked a lot of dumb questions, and I cherished the tutelage given me from Gene Trimble -- who was a hero of this entire organization and admired by everyone. It was Gene's posts about his collecting knowledge that made me become a member.

Here' a matter that needs attention: When someone from outside our circle asks a serious question on the Chip Board about a chip, value or any other information, there is a general lack of response by this vast knowledge base. Any reply could include a message about why we collect and provide information linking them our two main web-pages, possibly introducing them to what we do.

As I said in my opening statement, it was not my intention to continue the discontent, but to find common ground for all of us to embody an opinion that bolsters the hobby, encourage new collectors, and allow people their voice -- an enabled entitlement.

Let's Make This Hobby Great Again!