I attended the Chip Show in Cincinnati sponsored by Charlie Wilson on April 20th. This was my first extended trip to attend a Chip Show since 2018. I left on April 17th and returned home on April 22nd.
Here is a day to day breakdown of my trip.

Wednesday April 17th - I drove from Delaware to Marietta, Ohio (about a 7 hour drive). Along the way I stopped at the Rocky Gap Casino in Western Maryland and "Harvested" some Roulette Chips (see scan below). When I arrived in Marietta I went out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and had probably the best Shrimp Fajitas I have ever had - there was a full pound of large shrimp on the plate - 18 shrimp and all the fixings - desert was also great. I got to my hotel just before a severe storm arrived - lots of rain and lighting.

Thursday - April 18th - I toured around Marietta and went to a couple of antique shops. I drove thru West Virginia and then on to Amelia, Ohio where I stopped and visited my friend and fellow Chip collector Roy Klein. I spent several hours with Roy looking thru his fabulous chip collection and I picked up about 30 chips for my collection. From Roy's house I drove to Cincinnati and spent the night at the Quality Inn. The drive from Marietta to Cincinnati was about 200 miles.

Friday - April 19th - I drove thru Northern Kentucky and down to Rising Sun, Indiana and visited the Rising Star Casino. I picked up some Players Club Cards and won $490.00 on a Buffalo Gold slot machine. I wanted to pick up some Roulette chips but the only Table they had was not open when I was there. My next stop was the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The Roulette tables were open and I managed to "Harvest" some Roulette chips. (see scan below) I got back to Cincinnati and went to the Trade Session at the Townplace Marriott that Charlie Wilson had arranged. We had a fun time and I played Pool for the first time in probably 30 years. Amazingly I played pretty well and won 4 or 5 games in a row. It was nice to meet the chippers who were in town for the Show. Later, I went to to the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati and won $1625.00 on another Buffalo Gold slot machine. I also "Harvested" a few Roulette chips. The chips came from a $25 per spin Table and the chips were $5.00 each. I bought in for $50 - played one spin and left with 5 chips. I have 4 of these chips for sale. (see scan below)

Saturday - April 20th - I got up early and went back to the Townplace Marriott to set up for the Chip Show. Charlie Wilson helped me unload my van and get all "My Stuff" into the Hotel. A little after I got to the Hotel my friend Jim Steffner delivered a roulette wheel to me that I had purchased from a dealer in Central Ohio on ebay back in November of 2023. Jim had been kind enough to pick the Wheel up for me - store it for 6 months and then bring it to Cincinnati for me. This saved me $100s in shipping costs and was one of the reasons I decided to attend the Cincinnati Show. The wheel is really nice and is 24" in diameter and sits on a carved mahogany base that is 28" high. (see scans below) I finished setting up 4 tables of chips, ashtrays, glassware, paper items, etc. I did really well at the Show - I traded and sold well over $1000 of chips and other items. I picked up a bunch of chips for my collection and 100s and 100s of chips for re-sale. (see scans below) Charlie Wilson was a Great Host and we went out to dinner at German restaurant in Newport, Kentucky after the Show and then to Hard Rock Casino to play the slots and hang out.

Sunday - April 21st - I got up and headed home. My first stop was in Lebanon, Ohio were I had lunch and visited a couple antique shops. From Lebanon I went North and stopped at the Miami Valley Racetrack and Casino. I picked up a slot card and they gave me $10 in free play. I won $200 and left. I drove to Wheeling, West Virginia and spent the night at the Marriott Hotel. I had tried to get a room at the Casino in Wheeling but they were sold out. I never went to the Casino as it was getting late and I just went to bed early.

Monday - April 22nd - I drove home from Wheeling, West Virginia - about a 6 hour drive - and stopped at Harrington Delaware Casino where I had $35 in free play and $20 in food comps. I won another $300 and got 3 sandwiches to take out and I headed home. I arrived back in Millsboro, Delaware around 8:00 pm. I had driven 1473 miles on my 5 day trip.

The trip was fun and I enjoyed meeting some new chippers and seeing some old friends. The Show turned out really well for me. Charlie Wilson was a Great Host. I won some money on the Slot machines, "Harvested" some Roulette chips and got a bunch of chips for my collection and for re-sale. I was able to drive about 7 hours at a time with no problems.

Finally, I was also able to add some new "Gas Pump Stickers" to my collection. I will make a separate post on my adventures in acquiring these allusive but fun items.

Take care,
Jerry "Glad to be on the Road Again" Birl