I have always collected crest & seals and ivories with investment value in the back of my mind.

The last produced chip anywhere close to being called a crest and seal was made in the 1970s. C&S of value were made prior to 1950. This pretty well guarantees scarcity and collectibility. I always thought of new issue LEs like stamps -- and you know what happened to stamps.

Ivories, on the other hand, are in a class by themselves. Except for myself, ivories seem to be the milieu for where the rich collect. Maybe it's because, unlike clay, ceramic and plastic chips/jetons there is an intrinsic value in ivory, plus something hand-carved is always a plus valuewise.

In both cases, rarity and age are usually characterics of an investment quality collectible. C&S are old. Ivories are antiques. In both cases the chance of the market becoming saturated with chips is much less when compared to casino chips.

JMHO.