Wow! Since this Project was "officially" kicked-off in early April, there have been approximately 1,170 individual scans posted at te Viewing Site, which represents some 117 individual collector submissions. I thank each of you who have taken the time to deliberate over what you feel are your most favorite, all-time top ten chips. And while I know that many of you agonized over which chips to include (a demanding task indeed) I also recognize that the process to think about one's favorites and then to locate scans or pull the chips from storage and then scan images for submission, is, of itself, quite a task as well!

That is why I try to always include the running list of those who have made submissions when I post a " Welcomes..." message. (Of course having a running list available helps me from asking a previous submitter from a list, unless your name is Rick Armstrong! .)

Anyway, the purpose of this posting is to reiterate what I've already posted previously, yet for whatever reason seems to get overlooked or misconstrued. And of course, to ask that those that have not participated to please do so.

One of my earlier statements was:

"I'd like to attempt to figure out a "Top 100" chips listing. In doing so, I am requesting anyone and everyone to submit to me their listing of their Top Ten favorite chips... The more submissions I get, the greater the Top 100 representation will be. Do NOT worry about duplicate submissions. In fact, I am relying on duplicates to point the way towards the top-of-the-top!"

The intent here is to get as many collectors as is possible to submit their listing of THEIR all-time, most favorite chips, whether the chips are in their collection or not. I also indicated that use of the word "chips" was to include checks, jetons and plaques, and later on I added non- slot-machine tokens. There is not requirement that chips be issued by a casino, or ever used in a casino. And while most submissions are of actual, casino issued and used chips, it still remains that some submissions are of Personal Chips, antique chips and generic releases, all of which are perfectly OK!

Perhaps not fully addressed was the manner in which a Top 100 determination would/could be made, and I believe that this was because the Project was evolving from Day-1! In principal (based on my past experience as the 'OTY Dude') I figured that in order to discern a 'Top of the Top' listing, you needed a listing from which to work from. I felt that asking collectors for their Top 100 was too extreme of a request. I also thought that many responses would be too generic, i.e., "all of the 3rd issue from the Four Queens" or "all $25 chips from the Dunes". Answers like that would require me to go find images or even figure out what the submitter meant by "all".

Again, based on my 'OTY Dude" activities, I decided that paring the request down to a collector's all-time most favorite 10 chips is something that collectors can handle and that I can handle on the website. And, as long as there is a very large response (at least 200 collectors, yielding 2,000 submissions, but even more will be better) the listing itself would point towards a Top 100, but NOT a specific, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on through 100th place!

Instead, I envision a listing that would have 20 or so 'Top of the Top' chips, based on repeat appearances of the individual TOP 10's submitted. Below that, there would be about 80 or so, all equally favored chips. All quite popular, but not popular enough to be in the 'Top of the Top' grouping.

So, I have not seen this Project as an effort to find a Number 1, all-time most favored chip amoung collectors (more commonly referred to as the Holy Grail of chips) and instead look to see a grouping of 100 most favored chips, with a cream of the crop recognition for some. In short, I don't think we can have a Holy Grail chip, as our collecting interests and therefore our individual opinions on what is a favored chip, are all too diversified.

As this Project has evolved, I see that I would like for it to result in something more than just a viewing site of collector's favored chips. I have given some thought to, and continue to consider collating, categorizing and re-presenting this information as a publication of some sort. Perhaps on-line, perhaps as a book, but all of that means nothing without submissions and for the submissions to be meaningful and heart-felt.

To date, the most common thread about this Project is the angst collectors have gone through to pare their selections to just 10. Some equate this process to selecting their most favored child over another! And while I know it is tough, it is that type of evaluation I am looking for in selections being made. Yet given the diversity amoung all of us, this Project needs the inputs from as many collectors as is possible. It matters not if you have collected a day or a lifetime. Or that you prefer $1 chips or only purple colored chips. Round or rectangular, clay or plastic, arrowdie mold or tri-club mold, high value or small value, it makes no difference.

BTW - The second most common comment is to say that they are seeing chips they never knew existed!

The Project simply needs (and I respectfully request) inputs. I have recently started emailing some of those who visit here and please know that while my email appears very template-like, I am not sending it on a mass-mailing basis. While I send it to others, your copy is a one-on-one request, sent to you personnaly from me!

Whew... I did not intend for this to be sooooooo long, but I did want to cover several aspects of the Project and I'm almost finished.

As you may have seen, I am not posting "The Welcome..." messages on the weekend. For right now I am doing so on weekdays and I try to space several out over the course of the day. This gives the collector being "Welcomed" an opportunity to have their offerings highlighted to others. It also gives me time to process the pending submissions, which can be fairly labor intensive. (I love my copy of Photoshop!)

You may have noticed also that there are several lists being maintained and I occassionally make an error in keeping them up-to-date or accurate. I have a list of who has made a submission. A list of who has sent me scans, but they are yet-to-be-posted (this is the "waiting in the wings" list). And lastly, a list of who I have committments from to submit their selections. If you see an error or oversight in those lists, a email will usually get my attention and a quick correction.

Well, I think that about covers it for now, but I will add what I have stated before, please feel free to send me your questions, comments and constructive criticism. While I may be collecting the information, it is the submitters that determine the contect!

If you have not made a submission, please consider doing so!

I thank the following individuals for their complete participation (thus far) in this Project:

Jim Follis