Hi Andy,

I hope this response doesn't hiccup three times to your posts.<G> The reason that I included the hotstamp example is because I bought a $100 obsolete chip at the first chip show I ever attended last January that had the hotstamp removed. I asked the dealer if removing the hotstamp changed the value of the chip. He said no, which is technically correct if someone knows how to spot the indentations, but I was pretty green at collecting (still am in some areas) and didn't know at the time that you could see that the stamp had been removed.

I'd prefer that the hotstamp cancellation be left intact so that there is no question about the chip, even to an untrained eye. I had to learn this lesson at a cost of $150, which I may never recoup on this chip. I just might have to frame the damn thing with a plaque stating "Don't Do This Again" and the price I paid for it below that. ....I don't mind paying for lessons, but I try to keep the cost at $20 max! <G>

Bob