Archie, the problem here is the premise that as soon as an LE sells out it becomes obsolete. I think that makes for a very bad definition of obsolete, and so yes, I'm contending that you're wrong. The same way you and I would both contend someone's definition of "rare" is wrong if they insist a chip is rare because they can't find one for sale at any store in Portland, Oregon.

I don't understand your position that casinos only release new LEs to replenish stock of sold out LEs. Harrah's here in Reno has made 6000 each of many of their LEs, and I can still go to the cage and get HAN or Air Race chips for many years back. They still release a new HAN and Air Race chip every year. It seems to me they release LEs because the collectors want LEs. They have no intention to "obsolete" them. Are you telling me the '94 HAN is not obsolete because I can get one from the cage, but the '95 is obsolete because they're sold out? And that the '94 was obsolete last year when I couldn't get any, but then magically became current again when somebody redeemed 60 of them? I just can't fathom your logic.

You didn't get my point on the 1965 quarter. Fine. Let me try again. Imagine this... George Washington Billionare was born in 1965. In the city wherever the "D" quarter is minted. For the last 15 years, every since he turned 21, he's been hoarding 1965-D quarters. He goes to the bank and buys bags of quarters, and keeps all the 1965-Ds he can find. He hires people in other cities to do the same. He wants them all, and he can afford to seek them out. So, after 15 years of this, you and I have a hard time finding a 1965-D. Oh, they exist, they turn up now and then, but if I went to a bank to find one, I probably wouldn't. OK, I know it's a far fetched example, only because nobody would really do that. But... if someone did... would that make the 1965-D quarter obsolete? The US Mint certainly isn't going to make any more 1965 quarters!

OK, one more example. Let's say, hypothetically, for some reason or no good reason, it doesn't matter, they only made a few thousand 1965-D quarters, whereas they make millions of every other year and letter. Over the last 36 years 99% of them have been filtered into private collections, or are held by dealers and only available at far more than face value. Now is it obsolete?