banned from the convention, actually. It may be that there is a ban against allowing slabbing companies to secure a table at the convention...I don't know for sure. I do know that "slabbed" chips are not allowed on the convention floor.

As for my level of certainty with regards to the disdain of "slabbing" from the high end chip collectors...I'm pretty certain. I've been fortunate enough to know many of them and most do not want "slabbing" and many have signed the "Slab-Free" pledge. It's also important to note that the "Slab-Free" group is not a part of , but that it is made up of members.

For me (and I'm NOT a high end collector), the present problem is that there will never be a trust for ANY chip-grading company. The current chip-grading / "slabbing" company has shown in the past that their concept of "mint condition" or uncirculated is not even close to my concept of those chip conditions. There is too much money at stake, especially in the high-end stuff. If I decided to sell all 80 or so my "nicer" chips and took it to a "slabber" / grader and he was putting his kid through college and wanted to show his appreciation by "bumping" his grading just a bit or over-looking some flaw, how would a potential buyer ever know?? What would happen if I sold it to another club member who proceeded to remove it from its plastic coffin, notice a flaw or take it to "his" grader who then graded it lower. It opens up not a can, but a barrel of worms. You would NEVER sell me on it, even though I'm not a high-end collector.

And as I noted earlier, there is some "thrill" & satisfaction to actually holding some of these pieces. Exactly why...I can't really tell you. But I can tell you that as much of a thrill it was for me, the owners of these chips got a kick out of the fact that I got so much of a thrill out of holding one of their prized possessions.

With regards to the last lines in your post, this Club IS about information and education. It may be slow in coming sometimes, but the Club really does try to get it right. The website has information, the convention has seminars, the club has a mentoring program and, most importantly, this club has the greatest wealth of chipping knowledge through its members. Most members have access to this knowledge simply by asking. Most members, even the "old-timers" and those that I consider "elite", have ALWAYS responded. If they didn't know the answer, they've sent me to someone that they thought might have the answer. That's another great thing about this Club and its members...there always seems to be so many open doors for answers. You seemed to have nailed those doors shut.

Steve Bedo