I believe it is time for me to express my feelings regarding new chip services.

I am putting this on top of the page because I didn't want it to get lost in the thread below.

New chip service dealers are without doubt, the best thing that has happened to the chip collecting hobbyists. Without them, the rest of us would have one heck of a hard time amassing as many chips as we have and at such a low cost, no matter what we pay for them. In addition, I believe it is by far the main reason we have been able to increase our membership numbers in our club and added to the chip community as a whole.

We are lucky to have new chip dealers in most major markets; Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, and Colorado. And although Las Vegas dominates the market, I don't believe anyone is making a living strictly from his new chip service business. Most are just supplementing their income and while providing us with our needs.

And if someone or many happen to be lucky or astute enough to make his living that way, all the power to him. Without doubt, no one outside of Las Vegas has any chance whatsoever of expecting to retire on the income of sporadic issues from places such as Reno, Atlantic City or from the Colorado casinos.

That being said, we get down to the main topic–pricing.

It has been established (by both buyer and seller) at least for the present time, that $2.00 to $3.00 over face value is a fair price to charge for chips with a value of $5.00 and under. (Just why that should increase to $5.00 or $10.00 for $25.00 chips I don't know but the market accepts that, so be it.)

Everyone, thank God, is entitled to make a profit from their goods and/or services. The amount of profit is many times dictated by competition. I, personally, do not provide such a service. The reason being that #1., probably not more than a dozen people collect California chips, and 2nd and more importantly, I do not want to be obligated as one is if he has a service, to have to run down to the local casino at a specific time to get the chips and mail them out immediately and to get involved in all the paper work. People that do this, certainly are deserving of compensation.

Everyone providing this service has the best of reputations among us. I have yet to hear of a case where someone was "ripped off." So who do we choose as a provider? For me, it as combination of price, loyalty and friendship. As it is, however, I feel the same toward others in the area but it just so happens I started with my providers a long time ago and see no reason to change.

But in the same instance, there are a few, Al Golovin as an example, who is willing to provide this service at a competitive rate, possibly less than is being charged in the area at present, which I believe is good for the hobby. Being that his motivation is not necessarily to make a profit (but hope to at least break even) he has agreed to charge a uniform price for all chips of the same denomination, no matter what the issued number might be. I don't think this is an uncommon practice, and although I am not sure of my facts, I believe, Chuck, Andy, Ralph and George adhere to the same practice. As has been stated previously, the extra money being charged on low issued chips is not going to change any ones life style to any big degree, so why charge it. There are exceptions, of course, like the Rivera Porno chips, but in general, the extra few dollars involved, in my opinion, are not worth it.

As you see, I have not soften my position but just hope I have clarified it.