There are various threads with conversations about the Chip Guide members-only functions. Instead of replying to many, I’ll put my thoughts together here. As a volunteer on the Membership Growth committee, and a candidate for VP, I’ve been thinking about this a lot.

Members Only functions on the Chip Guide

Most concerns are that “Greg never intended to ‘charge’ for the Chip Guide” and that we are “closing off the Guide from potential members or collectors.”

First off, the Chip Guide that Greg built is still open to all. See the map, click a state, drill to a club and see all the stuff from a casino (btw – hundreds of thousands more things than Greg could have imagined). What has been turned to “members only” are the functions that were developed by club volunteers – Trade Makers, My Collection, etc.

(I have seen the concerns about the search function. Maybe that is something we should look at as time goes on.)

The MG&E committee did have meet and greets with other groups, including the set collectors, and when asked if they had any suggestions that might drive membership, the subject of the Chip Guide came up every time. One comment sticks in my brain, “You guys must be crazy to give it away for free.”

How much has it helped?

There was a request below that the club share its proof that the Chip Guide changes are working to increase membership. Although I don’t think there has been enough time to evaluate properly, I have heard (anecdotally) that we have signed up some who said the Guide was the reason.

But that’s not really the point. Making the Chip Guide advanced functions members-only ALONE was never the magic bullet. The idea was to build up an entire arsenal of benefits.

Will the Chip Guide advanced functions alone fix membership? No.
Will the additional online magazine fix it? No.
Will special members-only convention add-ons fix it? No.
Will discounts on auction items and merchandise fix it? No.
Mentor program? SharePoint partnership?? Ethics guarantees??? No, No and No.

But put them all together in a membership portfolio and you are starting to get somewhere.

We need to look at the big picture. The Chip Guide is just one piece of the puzzle.

Would it be nice to give everything away for free? Of course. But that’s not reality.

All the above are my personal opinions and observations. I don’t speak for the MG&E committee or the CCA.

Ed Hertel