As a Harrah's collector - who lives too far from Vegas to run and pick them up myself, I use 3 different resources - and I'll even tell you who they are: George Conrad, Andy Hughes and Pete Rizzo - on a regular basis to ensure I get chips when they are released.

Please understand, I typically buy ONE chip for my collection... not 10. Not 40.

THEN - IF there is an abundance of chips, I may even get a duplicate or two. But that is only when they are clearly available reasonably. When the MM's came out, I NEVER said, "Grab me 10!". Nor with the KB's. I DO want 1. Two - would be nice too if possible.

These duplicates are usually traded BY ME AT FACE VALUE (regardless of what I pay for them) to my Harrah's contacts who get me Harrah's chips(AT FACE) from other parts of the country.

The 3 men above usually can sell me a pristine new release for my Harrah's collection for 7.00 - 8.00. Two of them don't even wait for my check most of the time.

I DID buy a $5 MM from Rene last week after I posted the "HEY!! NEW CHIP? I need one!" post and he offered to sell me one. $10. (haven't gotten the chip yet - but I assume not "knowing me", he' s waiting for the check to clear...??) At $10 - and "no other resource" - there will be no "extra" for Brad in LA... who sends me LA Harrah's at face.

Recently I was able to trade a chip I got from Brad (at face) to someone else (at face). He was so thrilled to get this (older) LE at face, he just picked me up a modest quantity of Atlantic City's - at face.

TRADING SAVE US MONEY.

When someone corners the "market" on a chip - making them virtually unavailable to many... at least reasonably... it hurts little people like me... which hurts my friend Brad Keller... and the person needing the LE I got from Brad and so on.

Last week I traded an AC Harrah's chip AT FACE - to someone else - for a brass core he picked up for me in Reno (AT FACE) - which I am sending today to the Karli's in LV (AT FACE)- because they send me Hard Rocks (AT FACE)

ISN'T THIS THE WAY the hobby is supposed to work?????????? At $10 each... "no traders" for me. When you think about, this just cost 6 "measly little collectors" (NOT DEALERS)from getting "a chip they wanted" reasonably.

Just my opinion.