Sometime in the 80s, before I collected chips, maybe 1986, I had a friend, well actually kind of a jackass friend, but anyway, who had fallen on hard times. Broke up with his girlfriend, didn't have a place to stay, didn't have much money, so I let him use a spare bedroom. Being that I'm a sucker, or at least was a large one back then, I didn't ask him for any money, just "if you can pay anything me, please do..."

To cut to the most important part of the story. He and the bartender, and some of the other regulars, from the corner bar, went to the casino in Michigan. (there were no casinos is Wisconsin at that time) These guys were leaving around 10PM... 215 miles 3 1/2 hour drive. I don't know the details and most of these people aren't around to ask any longer.

One morning while I was up editing on the computer, he got dropped off back at the house. He gave me two of these 50c HIC chips and said, here I know you like collecting things. (Make a note I just got my 30 year pin from the club a couple of weeks ago, thanks David.) Roughly five years before I started collecting more actively, I had my first chip. Well, OK officially, second after a generic roulette chip in 1984 from the MGM, but as usual I diverge?

So these 50c HIC which could be Harris Indian Casino or Hannahville Indian Casino, which was a bingo hall, and soon changed it's name to Chip-In-Casino 1987, before it became the Island Casino in 1998... and is listed as Harris Michigan. The chips are apparently from that brief period in time before it went from HIC to Chip-In.

These kicked around in the desk drawer for all that time, before I started collecting. Reno 1990 I don't think I was saving chips then, just free stuff, pens, key chains, coupons. Too bad, considering all the nights I walked up and down the street, visiting ever casino. Not that anything from then is going to be "rare" but I did play at the Horseshoe - Cashells and many others. Slots and Keno.

That's where this chip came from. A 50¢ Mermaid in kind of a putty color.