Over on the Message Board I posted the following message about what I consider to be a blight upon our hobby. At the end of this message I am providing a link to this same posted message on the Board, in the event that anyone would like to see the discussions taking place there, and/or perhaps engaging in the discussions yourself.

Thank you,

Jim Follis
Candidate for Secretary

In follow-up to my previously posted campaign messages, I would like to address a situation that I call a Blight Upon Our Hobby. That blight is the creation and manufacture of certain chips that mimic or closely resemble, or represent themselves to be made by and/or for, real, named casino operations. These chips are often categorized as “fantasy chips” under the general notion that they are not actual casino chips. (Please note, while trying to describe this type of chip, it gets confusing as to what is included and what is excluded, as there are many different types of fantasy chips.) Some fantasy chips I have no real problem with, while others simply make me see red! So, this description process becomes much like the saying about p0rn0graphy, I may not be able to describe it, but I know it when I see it! And so, here are some examples of what I see as a Blight Upon Our Hobby!

This scan is from the Fakes, Fantasy and Counterfeits page of the as maintained by Club member David Spragg. In this instance, I am more specifically referring to the top set of chips that use the name and city location of a real casino operation. Although these chips do not appear anything like the chips from the real Jackpot Casino, Las Vegas, NV (1971 – 1977), it remains that they can be easily represented as actual Jackpot Casino chips by the uninformed and unscrupulous, particularly on eBay.

Next up, I offer the series of Las Vegas Centennial-themed poker chips made and sold by the Gamblers General Store for 79 cents a piece. These chips (very similar to the ones shown here) were marketed by the Gamblers General Store as poker chips in their Fantasy Chip line. Depicted on the chips were older photos of celebrities in and out of various casinos. Labeled on one side for the photo and date, none of these are sold by GGS as if they were casino issues. Unfortunately, at least four (and more) eBay sellers have managed to capitalize of these chips and to varying degrees hype and overstate implied casino affiliation with these chips in a constant barrage of listing and re-listing, profiting from shipping and handling charges and the occasional bidding wars that erupt.

Listed here are the various captions imprinted on these chips

“Landmark Hotel Owner Howard Hughes” “1966”
“Opening of the Riviera with Headliner Liberace” “1955”
“Elvis and Priscilla and Tom Jones” “1970”
“Desert Inn Hotel Owner Wilbur Clark” “1950”
“Binion’s Horseshoe Hotel with Owner Benny Binion” “1958”
“Ed Sullivan at the Sands with Julia Meade” “1955”
“Flamingo Owner Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel” “1946”
“Janet Leigh Marries Robert Brandt – Dean Martin” “1962”
“Betty Grable and Harry ames Poolside at the El Rancho” “1960”
“Phyllis Diller and Red Skelton Share a Laugh” “1965”
“Wayne Newton On Stage at the Sands” “1977”
“Harry Belafonte Live in Las Vegas” “1970”
“Ann Margret Publicity Shot for Ceasars Palace Show” “1978”
“Harry S. Truman Plays Piano with Jimmy Durante” “!962”
“The “Rat Pack” on Stage in the Sands Copa Room” “1960”
“Lucille Ball with Promoter Jack Entratter at the Sands” “1953”

Shown below is the beginning of the next wave of bogus chips to be foisted upon the collector’s world. Made in China (in a ceramic, Chipco-like process) in the tens of thousands and up. Chips like these will be pumped into the market place and we will see them every where. So invasive is this threat that the set pictured here will be called the “deluxe” version of Chinese ceramics because someone took the time to create some artwork.

I have seen the results of SunFly Manufacturing (China) receiving scans of real chips and producing ceramic versions from the scans. This even included non-relief printing of hat and cane molds right on the ceramic chip as part of the photo. The clarity was of sufficient resolution that the flat, smooth ceramic chips could be offered on eBay without a clue that they were actually ceramic and not real molded chips!

You are reading this correctly! It will not surprise me to see complete home game sets of otherwise rare and priceless chips, or a single issue of a high-value chip posing as the real thing on eBay, just long enough to trick a newbie.

Next up, real TR King made bogus Kings Crown chips. The scans speak for themselves!

Here are some more ceramics made to emulate World Series Of Poker Tournament chips.

How about this ceramic made in “tribute” to the Bellagio tournament chips.

Another ceramic set, but this time made by Chipco.

And last, but not least (and I really wish they were the last, but many more are out there) is this set of Gamblers General Store tribute chips to Bill Borland.

So this is what I believe to be a blight upon our community and it is rapidly approaching a plague. I am not proclaiming this to be the worst thing happening to our hobby, just as I don’t proclaim slabbing to be the worst or undisclosed chip repair (or even disclosed modification) to be the worst. But collectively, they are all working against this hobby and we as an educational-based Club need to develop and implement plans and programs to resist these activities.

We may not be able to stamp them out, or turn the tide, but we must do something and I want to be a part of the plan. I want to participate in being proactive to combat these nefarious detriments.

Whether I am elected or not, I still plan to participate in this war against The Blight, but I feel that I can be more effective in a position of trust and responsibility within the Club, as measured by the members, so I respectfully request your vote.

Thank you,

Jim Follis
Life Member 3872-53
Candidate for Secretary