Todd - as a collector - I look at chips as critically as I assess my young daughter's boyfriend

I look for variations, discrepancies, anything ususual... and I look a LOT. I used to go in and buy "a chip"... now I get a rack and go through them... especially if they are in used condition.

And I do the Dick Covington-syndrome - I look at hot-stamps, angles, molds, trying to find an unusual difference.

I got my Venetian from Mike Skelton in trade for an old Desert Inn thingie - and admittedly I emailed him after receiving the chip and asked, "ok... so what's wrong with it???" (It looked great to me! Nice clean crisp chip... nothing wrong with it that I could see.) He explained about the molds... so now "I know".

Unfortunately... being new to collecting - I don't even know what constitutes an error. Thankfully I have the CB - with it's wealth of information.
If I had seen that chip at the Venetian... I would not have thought anything was wrong with it being a house mold -as I didn't know the chip should have a H&C in the first place.
All I can do is try to pay attention and learn as I go along.