Many years of listening to you and others here who deal more actively with the chip and token market!

A couple years ago, I started going to the local auctions. There are two rural places that run on Sunday. During the Winter, that's what I do. (saw chips once) Then at Noon it's home for the Packer game.

It was very educational for seeing what gets good bids and what doesn't. Most of the buyers are people who run little "antique" shops, or have space in those antique malls. A few others are buy and sell people, working eBay.

If you wanted Currier and Ives dinner service, I could get you truck loads, same for depression glass. Things that you see in the shops by the piece, are sold by the box at the auctions. Hardwood chairs are a joke. I used to find them at a rummage and think how great a deal I have and I could refinish and re-sell. Unless it's special, $5 is about the top dollar for those.

They can't give away hutches and solid wooden tables. Well that's an exaggeration. But they go for such low prices, I'm amazed. Until I think of, where would I put them and how many people need another hutch or table?

I never knew how much salt glaze was out there. Crocks, pots, jugs, old and new.

There is a point. Anything collectible is market driven, simple enough supply and demand.

I used to have stacks of antique and collectible books, before the Internet. The main intelligence of any guide is not dollar value, but relative value. As the demands go up or down, the value ratios are pretty consistent, from one item to another.

ps now I'm kicking myself for dropping at $45 for that box of poker chips. I was saying to myself, "Oh I'll see more of those". In two years of Winter watching, no I haven't!

Let me add why I love chip collecting. Besides the interesting history of casinos. They are small and easy to store. They aren't easily damaged or fragile. There's no grading service slabbing chips, to drive values up. It's FUN! There was the wave and now things are stabilizing. Nothing wrong at all. Just that the boom is over and the long term, there should always be a steady interest with new people catching the bug for casino collecting.

I have a shop near here that specializes in postcards. I go in and ask, any casino cards. I think there's someone else who's buying them all.