My first chip was in a set of 200 interlocks that I spent my $20 birthday money for to my mother's horror and my granmother's (Mother Dixie was her name--gambling her fame) joy.
But my first design clay came from a friend who had a set of clay chips with one lily in it--I thought that was neat, asked for it and got it.
My first ivory was a grubby "5" in a grubby set of ugly design chips I bought from an old woman for $6.
My first casino chip was a set of DI Roulettes [see scan] which I paid $10 for (200 or so) in 1978 at a California flea market--not knowing they were from a casino.
My first intended purchase was from our friend Borland who sold me a real chip and not one of his reproductions, darn it.