You have stepped into an old debate that has erupted into week-long arguments that quickly escalated into personal attacks, name calling and other mature stuff.

Some believe this is the biggest threat to our hobby, Rick. There are people who can repair chips so well, you can't tell, although there may be methods such as x-rays which may reveal the repairs. On your chip, no big deal really, but what about a chip worth 5 figures? And, if they can fix a chip, what's to stop them from creating a new version of an old and extremely valuable chip? And what if those chips can't be detected? If any chip can be manufactured without detection, how much can any chip be worth? It could be devastating for the hobby.

I'm glad this conversation has stayed civil, for the most part.

Michael Siskin