I've received three emails to the effect of telling me that I should have posted this on thechipboard.com so here it is:

Yesterday, I met with Russ Diaz at his home in Brigantine, NJ to settle up a transaction that took place at the Palace Station chip show in Las Vegas. Andy Hughes asked me if I had an A.C. Tropicana $25 4th of July hologram chip for sale. My reply was "Yes, but not here at the show with me." Andy asked how much I was getting for them, and I responded, "$35". Andy gave me the $35 with the assurance that I would send him the chip as soon as I returned to New Jersey. Well, Russ Diaz happened to have one of these chips for sale at his table at the Palace Station show. Russ and I being good chip friends and neighbors, and being that it was the last day of the show, I asked Russell if he would loan me his chip if he didn't sell it and that I would replace it when we got back to Jersey? Russell agreed, and I gave the chip to Andy that same day.

Yesterday, when I gave Russ the chip I owed him and he simply put in away in his box without looking at it, he commented.... "gee, I just realized that if there were a question of grades, this might not have been so simple." I concured,... with my comment to him; "You're absolutely correct Russ. Can you imagine if your chip had been slabbed with a grade of MS 62 or 63, you may not have accepted my chip if mine had been slabbed graded MS 60 or 61."

Question: Is this what our wonderful hobby is about to be reduced to if slabbing ever takes hold?

*****An educational message contributed by Archie Black