Welcome to the club and the broader collecting community. My first piece of advice is that including your last name will get you some responses you otherwise may not get (a series of trolls in the past have resulted in some very knowledgable contributors' refusal to acknowlege posts without a first and last name).

I collect all sorts of casino stuff from Aruba, and $1 and $5 chips from many other Caribbean countries, a $1 chip of the types that were in play from all of the casinos I have been to (just about done with that), Newport Oregon, underground 21st Century NY metro-area card club chips, dealer buttons (just for fun) and, on occasion, chips that capture my fancy (though I don't do that as much any more). I would suggest you look for areas on which to focus. It's too much for most of us to collect everything. Also, you learn a lot more of the details, the history, when you pick a few manageable areas. That's the real fun (aside from the collectors themselves).

Soak it all in and don't be afraid to ask any question. And remember to have fun!

Michael Siskin