I collect in a number of different fields. There are specialty sites in every collecting field and most are hard to navigate substandard sites with a whole host of problems. Not to mention the time it takes to go from one site to the other then end up on Ebay anyway.

The owners of the sites have their hearts in the right place but most are dismal failures. That is too bad because if a site were done right it would be wonderful. Like I should talk, I am a computer idiot. I can be a sidewalk superintendant and offer my thoughts.

However, someone doing a gaming memoribilia site needs to have categories for everything. Of course, chips are the big end of it but lots of us collect all kinds of casino stuff. Rather than lump everything else under the great category of "OTHER", there is a need for categories for dice, ashtrays, matches, swizzle sticks, cards, calendars etc. Make it a true Gaming Collectible Auction Site...Heck, make it a fixed price and auction site. There are alot of possibilities.

A site like that might begin to draw sellers away from Ebay. At the moment they are the best we have for maximum exposure. I have no problem with their charges but if you are selling junk for a dollar or two it doesn't make sense and you probably ought to rethink what you are doing. There is no way one and two dollar items will make any sense even being listed on Ebay, or for that matter any where else.

Many complain about Ebay fees but where else can you get world wide exposure for the price they offer. The highest dollar item I ever sold on Ebay was $7600.00...Ebay charged me $126.50 for the ad and final value fee. Go figure what a major auction house would charge...20, 25, 30 percent, of course. I am sorry but I defend Ebay as the best we have. Granted there are problems...

I do think that Ebay needs to listen to the collectors in each field as to development of the categories.

I think the CCGTCC should make a recommendation on behalf of the club as to how the gaming memoribilia categories should be shown on Ebay.

I would be interested in suggestions and maybe we can come up with something better and submit it to CCGTCC Board for approval and then submit it to Ebay.

Other sites, think about what I have said, you need the volume that the other casino collectibles will provide. Limit it to collectibles, the home sets can go piss up a rope, or at best have a separate category for them. Ebay needs to do this and I have had conversation with them about it...not too responsive.

Just my opinion but I get tired of the Ebay bashing...I hear none of that from the sellers that have better stuff to list...they are making money and the Ebay fees are a cost of doing business and they aren't whining and neither am I. Until something better comes along that can guarantee me the same sell rate as Ebay does, I am staying where I am at with Ebay.

Mark