slabbers are
first and formost COIN DEALERS, not chip dealers, and know nothing about grading casino chips. They have been working with coin dealers exclusively for years, and only in the past 15 or so years started puttering around in slabbing chips with absolutely no knowledge of the hobby. They know nothing about how to grade a chip, what is real and what isn't and, as you point out, cannot, without absolute confidence, guarantee that a chip has not been repaired. Therefore, this whole thing makes slabbing a scam, but still there are those that want it done, so go ahead if that is what makes you happy. Most old timers will not, though.