I think ultimately, this could be a double edged sword.
Part of the mystique of collecting is to have something that is not readily available.
When a chip is in abundant supply, the demand drops. As "The General" posted, "the Chili Peppers was the first time he was able to get all he needed"

I think what we should really be looking at is the GREED of many casinos with issuing more and more higher denomination issues.
In Atlantic City a commemorative $25 chip was unheard of until 1998 now it seems that virtually 1/3 of all new issues are in denominations higher than $5. Hey, It costs the same to produce A $1 chip as it does a $100. As long as we buy em' they will make em'.

In regards to Hard Rock issues, I feel that if their higher denomination releases become relegated to amounts of 500 pieces or more, It won't be too long until they start accumulating in the cage.
There may be a lot of HR collectors, but there are also a lot of people that secure HR chips only to turn a buck. When the buck stops coming in, the supply in the cage will pile up. JMHO