O.K. Steve; Since very few casino owners come on this board to give their side... so let me play devil's advocate here.

"Hey, I run an honest joint, the A.B.C. Cafe Casino right here in Las Vegas. We have some first-rate groups that appear here in our popular night club and we also have some very highly rated table players that we value very strongly. After all, the players are the people who pay the bills here. I don't need any club or a couple of dozen chip collectors to tell us (me) what or how many to produce. My cafes are known world-wide. Anything I put out with my name on it attracts collectors ... not just chip collectors ... but A.B.C. Cafe memorabilia collectors from all over the world. Hell, I could probably issue a "Ground Hog Day" chip and get away with it!

Our management (me) decided a couple of months ago that we would like to produce a special issue chip to honor the "Terrible Trimble's" who will be appearing here for a week in July because a couple of genrous band members donated a few guitars and some motorcycle jackets to adorn our walls after their last sold-out appearance here at $200 a ticket. Our regular customers go ape-sh*t over this stuff.

We (I) decided on making only 250 chips ... but none of these chips were intended for collectors. We (I) could have just as easily produced 250 guitar pins at $24.95 each. We gave the band 50 chips and the other 200 chips were distributed to our valued players as we wanted to give them something nicer than a portable tv or boom box that every other casino in town is giving out. Besides; a $25 chip, that may bring $2000 on Ebay, certainly makes us look much bigger in the eyes of Terrible Trimble's band members and our valued players.

Hey, chip collectors can't have every chip that is issued.... just like pin collectors can't have every pin that our Cafe has issued. We have made pins exclusively for our staff. No offense, chippers, but this was strictly a business decision and it had nothing to do with chip collectors. Besides, we know that chip collectors like to come in here to ogle our almost dressed women customers ... so chances are they will return .. in spite of our "neglecting" of the chippers.

In fact, I understand some limo studs are coming here next Tuesday along with a group called "Greg and his TCB" (is that something like "Taking Care of Business?"). Hear it has to do with a big show coming into town. In fact, we're sending over our zebra limos to pick them up at the hotel they are staying in. Hell, we don't hold any grudges!

Guess they can't be too pis*ed off at us!"