It is not the chip guide, I know you want it to be, but, it is the convention, the largest source of income the club has. End of story. The chip guide delivers negligible income if any at all. When I asked how many memberships in the decline were bolstered by joins specifically attributed by the chip guide there was no definitive answer just a bunch of speculation and non evidenced claims. When a member joins with a referral stated from the chip guide is the closest I've seen. single digit.

Very misguided and archaic in tracking methods of what is actually important.

Want in one hand and poo in the other and see which fills faster. But keep "advertising" the convention to club members who already know and complain how expensive advertising to the public is, that is a great plan. For Pete's sake no one even figured out that the local news channels would love to cover an event like this until I set it up, and even then I was told it wasn't known if anyone would be available to participate! And that was one channel. I would have made time way in advance and contacted every news agency in the Las Vegas Metro area and went or talked to each and every one of them!!! IT WAS FREE!!!!

Barry has some great ideas and maybe Ed too. The rest of this old guard attitude and gatekeeping and some kind of perceived "power" over the hobby is what has been sinking the club. Do what you always do and you get what you've always gotten. Need I remind everyone of Jerry Vergatos questions a few years ago at the club business meeting when he asked the board if they had plans to grow membership? A free chip to anyone who can tell me what the answer was. (Hint, the answer was deplorable)

When Jerry asked Spragg (President at the time) about connecting with over 5000 sets collectors, another free chip to anyone who can tell me the answer. (Hint the answer was wrong)

When Jerry asked them if they reached out to see if I could help, another free chip to who can tell us all the answer. (Hint, the answer was wrong as you see what happened when I helped)

Last hint: You can find it on video on the clubs own site (if it isn't removed out of embarrassment). If it is I know where you can find it.

How many of you would be willing to forgo the convention and the funds it brings the club and count on the little, if any revenue is generated by the chip guide, antique interface with some BS custom code owned by Kaplan and supposedly now licensed to the CCA in perpetuity for whatever that's worth. Your "Crown Jewel"? seriously?

No one needs the club to be in the hobby, I had 50K chips before even discovering the club. As you can see by comments posted here by many that wouldn't even consider membership simply by the way you treat people. Ive said it many times, if someone read the comments here and saw the way you all treat people they would run far away. Maybe (and I'm sure this has been talked about) you should limit attendance to the show to members only, because at this point anyone can attend the show, they don't have to join the club to come. No one "needs" the CCA.

If you're continuing to wonder why there is a non renewal or joining problem simply ask yourself what true value does the CCA bring for $40 per year? Oh I know keep printing the magazine!! Theres a great idea, if I'm not mistaken THAT was the crown jewel of the clubs value.

Lets be real here.