I agree with you completely. One of the first rules that I learned about collecting anything is, Don't collect anything that you do not personally enjoy. Of course, if that means having a full set that is great but, at least as I see it, I don't get any special enjoyment in having to have a complete set of something. I also collect NASCAR Diecast and other things like my Taco Bell Chihuahuas, Pets.com Sock Puppet and other advertising or commercial artwork. I look at these chips as an extension of that other collection of items. I would rather buy more items that I get some specific pleasure from than having the prestige, if you can call it that, of being able to say I have a complete set of anything. Like any Object D' Art, (???) I can't see buying anything that I do not get some warm or enjoyable feeling or memory while looking at.

I realized from the start, with chip collecting, that I was not going to be able to get every chip I wanted and definately not every chip produced. Supply might not meet demand, Market Prices may exceed my budget, one casino or subject may just have so many items available that I can't afford to have them all .... Tropicana, 4Qs are a couple examples of casinos that produce so many chips that A. I can't possibly buy and probably don't have the space to own all of them and B. Many of the chips have no real significance to me and in my opinion can, at times, be stupid and unattractive. Therefore, as I said, I buy only what I personally derive some enjoyment from

I can't speak to the other issues re HRH and the $25 Hagar. I do not know about the employees and fringe benefits ... I am not a $25 collector anyways so I suppose it is easy for me to say but I, personally, have no problem with the casinos, at times, producing chips that are exclusively intended for a special group of guests. Whether it is High Rollers, Chip Collectors at the Convention or Participants and Attendees of events, conventions or tournements. I think it is all part of their strategic marketing and promotional objectives. If chips are going to continue to be produced and thus be available they are going to have to have SOME positive value to the casino. Otherwise they may stop producing them because they are more of a nuissance and burden than they are worth. If that means they produce them for a select group of Asian High Rollers like the Mandalay Year of the Horse(?) or other major players like the HRH $25 Hagar than so be it. The only thing I have objections to is when these chips are intended for the general public and are unfairly distributed through inside channels or special connections. If they are intended for public broad release than they should be distributed that way. That is with every collector and NIS and Dealer all having fair chances to acquire some chips. If this is the case with the Hard Rock chips than I would be upset. That is not my understanding though.