My one and a half cents...

With all due respect, and you certainly have a right to your opinion, I do disagree with what you posted.

You wrote: "Yes, but without slabbing, I wouldn't even know where to begin"

Surely you jest! There are several books on the subject of chip collecting and their values. A convention is held each year with experts and speakers that have forgotten more about chip collecting and values than any slabbing company will ever know.

What grading company knows more than the people, many of whom are Club members, who have written books and price guides on chip collecting?

Coins and chips are two distinctly different animals. One is metal and the other is clay. It's comparable to seeing a urologist because you have a toothache.

Slabbing companies exist for one main purpose and it isn't love of the hobby or to further chip collecting. It is to make money from the actual slabbing of the chips, which only adds cost to the chip, and doesn't necessarily confirm value.

Plain and simple: I'd trust the word of the club members over any alleged expert from a slabbing company.

I'm hardly an expert, but this is how I see it.