Mark,

I am one of those who can't afford chips in the four-figure range. But having a small collection is an advantage when attending the convention. I have no trouble finding interesting chips in my price range. My pleasure is trying to collect a variety of molds from a variety of casinos, preferably some oldies (cigarette burns and all). Chipping on a shoestring doesn't mean it's not fun. I hope you are having as much fun collecting ash trays.