IMO the hobby would be better served if all or some part of "The Chip Rack" or "The Official U.S. Casino Chip and Token Guide" were put on line (with a fee). Because of new chip releases, both guides and any other guides are obsolete before they are printed.
I greatly respect any author for the time spent to bring these guides to completion, even more so when some guides do not even turn a profit. But once published, we are left waiting a year or more or never, before we can get new reference numbers and info. Fee based on line guides that are constantly updated are the way to go. An alternative would be to at least publish updates in our quarterly "Casino Chip and Token News" with a fee paid to the authors. I for one would gladly pay more for annual membership if chip info was current. It's one thing to publish a "guide" it's quite another to keep that guide updated.
There is no easy solution. But there is nothing wrong with wanting a better way.