Jim...

Regarding chips shows, meetings, etc., I can say that I regularly see dealers who I am aware deal in slabbed chips. Although I have maintained cordial relationships with these people, I do not so much as flip through a binder at their tables. I am sure that everyone else who has taken the pledge adheres to this policy, and it would be foolish to believe that it has not had an impact on the respective businesses of these individuals.

In the setting of our club auction, particularly since reserves are not allowed, I cannot imagine the entry of a higher-priced slabbed chip into the festivities. Knowing that over 350 active collectors have pledged, among other things, not to purchase a slabbed chip, I would find it hard to envision a scenario wherein a seller would, by design, subject an item to that kind of market condition. In future auctions, as a matter of fact, I would like to know who is the seller in each case, because, frankly, I would not bid on an unslabbed lot that was being offered by a known dealer in slabbed chips.

If a chip dealer/seller wishes to do business without the 350+ of us who have taken the pledge, then so be it. If an individual does not recognize our ranks as a significant segment of the chip-buying universe, then he is deluding himself (or herself). The "list", I believe, has already impacted the slabbing market, and the stronger (ie: longer) the "list" becomes, the more impact it will have. A special thanks to Andy here for maintaining the high profile of the "list" - it is the strongest tool that we have and it will, in the long run, I feel, be the major factor in winning the war, even though we will lose an occasional battle along the way, such as the board vote.