YOU??? Money does funny (read: BAD) things to people sometimes. I just don't know who that "person" would be...someone that you trust may not be a person that I trust. I bought a few chips at this past convention -- not high dollar stuff for some, but I work hard for my money, so they were expensive to me . I had a couple of questions on the values, so I asked some people that I know and trust and they offered me their opinion. I got some bargains and paid too much for others. But I still held the chips in my hand, made my own examination and determined in my mind the "grade".

I don't have a lot of disposable income for my hobby; but even if I did, I'd want to examine the chip myself. If I was buying the real high $$$ stuff, I would spend the money to have it x-ray'd or examined by whom I thought to be an expert. And what happens if, when YOU go to sell it, the new buyer wants to break it out & examine it himself.

In my opinion, the authentication / certification of a high $$$ chip only brings peace of mind to the current owner and that a new owner would want to secure his own peace of mind. Steve B