Jill, I agree - standardization on a single consistent reference source would help tremendously. But of course, it will only help describe a chip as it is, not as any other just like it might be. One might be substantially dirtier than yours, another may have been left in a display window for 40 years and now faded by sunlight.

Color charts won't help with that problem of identical chips being described with different colors.

As to your Las Vegas Club chip, I'd venture an opinion, assuming the scan is true, but I can't without knowing whether there's a denomination on the reverse. Based on what I can see in the scan, I'd call the chip dark red.

The closest to a true color for the chip is in the recessed areas of the rim hats, where skin oils, food, liquids, etc., haven't made as much contact, and therefore haven't discolored the original shade as much.

Remember too, that Myers, Wheelden and Knapp don't have all the chips described in TCR. Some of our descriptions come from scans such as yours. Others from chips we've borrowed once from another collector, then returned, so when the issue of color comes up we can't check. Still others come from descriptive lists others have put together with their own differences in lighting and perception.

A standardized chip color reference will help the hobby, I think, but it certainly won't solve all the problems we're discussing!

Michael