Cross posting this from facebook where I like to show my chip collecting journey. I am a history guy (both teach and study it) so I like to explore the history behind the chips I acquire. I am sure there is nothing new here that you guys have not seen or heard but I thought it would be interesting to see and hear from you all on my collecting journey

Its been a hot minute since I added to my historical collection. These two fit nicely into my pre 1965 inlay Las Vegas collection. These come from the amazing guys at Dwightful Chips. These are not super pricey and the black theme is coincidence rather than intentional!

First is the California Club. This series of chips was first ordered 17 October 1955 replacing the hostamp chips of 1953. A re-order was made for the much rarer $5 in 1958. With only 1000 $25 chips in the original run which lasted several years it is surprising no reorders were made. At this time the owner was Phil Long, who would own the club until 1964. The interior of the casino had a very goldrush vibe to it with waxworks of settlers and little exhibits of settler life. Mounted on the wall, akin to a hunting lodge, were waxwork heads of famous legends of the west. The Casino featured some unique attrctiions including dioarmas of the west indian relics, a gun collection but perhaps most uniquely a naked woman in a fish bowl and a girl in a lamp which seemed to break with the western theme hitherto. For poker fans, the California Club was the first to offer Texas Hold'em in 1963.

The Castaways has a vivid history. It would go on to be owned by Howard Hughes in 1967 but this chip is specifically from the pre-Hughes era. The Polynesian themed hotel had a troubled history. Opening in September 1963, the casino (not the hotel itself) closed in December 1964 with a brief 3 month reopening in October 1965. This probably explains the abundance of 1st edition Castaway chips as they likely saw only some limited play. Sitting across the road from the Sands, Flamingo and a short distance from the Desert Inn which were all evolving at this time probably set the smaller Castaways back a little. The bar had a 1500 gallon fish tank, but no woman inside. The other feature attraction was the Gateway to Luck, a Jade temple. A random tidbit however is that KLAS radio, coinciding with the opening in 1963, moved their headquarters and broadcasting studios to the Castaways.