Jim Reilly is a very good man and he has a tough job in the club. That said, let me say that I find any defense of Mr. Whelan's actions is not very palatable. There are victims in this situation. I have a couple of brass core samples in my collection that were not only expensive, but I'm reasonably sure they are real. The problem here is if I need to sell them for whatever reason, how would I ever convince a prospective buyer that they are legitamint? Add a couple of more people who have legit samples plus you have to figure there are some collectors out there who bought the fake chips thinking they made a great find and you have to ask yourself "what the hell was this guy thinking when he made these things?" There are only two possible answers, A. He was intentionally looking to deceive someone or B. He is ignorant. So if he reads this board, which is it? Obviously I'm not real happy with Mr. Whelan. Jim Kruse