"#3 A guy walking in off the street looking for 1 set of chips isn't going to be told about a list.
The people on the list for the most part are new chip service people who guarantee the casino that they will buy x amount of chips of every issue that the casino puts out. This helps the casino know how many chips to make, and it helps the people who want to collect LE chips who can't be in Las Vegas when every chip is released."

Ralph, your paragraph #3 statement above brings up the haunting question "Are those chips REAL chips or are they just souveniers that look like real casino chips?" It appears that they never reached a REAL casino table for action.

Craig, I had a similar problem during the Club's Convention. There was an announcement that the O'Shea's chip issued to commemorate the Club's Convention would go on sale at noon. I arrived at about 11 a.m., donated $200 at a blackjack table only to find out at noon that I wasn't on THE LIST and they didn't have any loose chips to sell me.

I voiced my concern with Steve Zacchi when I returned to the Convention. Steve graciously sold me a chip from his supply.

I can understand your ire--I was mad!! There's not much we can do about the influential few who are able to get on THE LIST. My only suggestion is to walk to find a more chipper friendly casino. I have resolved to myself that I will never own every casino chip ever issued so I collect what becomes available to me--and don't patronize casinos that are not collector friendly. Wanna tweak O'Shea's? Register a complaint with the Nevada Gaming Board that chips that they authorize for PLAY are sold out of the cage and never make it to gaming tables--the purpose for which they were intended. Take care. Chuck T.
P.S. I'm sure I am going to hear from all of the experts on this issue.