Hello from just south of the ole Line!
@FordPickup92 and I are in Westminster MD. We find ourselves in PA most weekends that we are not playing poker as we are avid Sprint Car fans. You live pretty close to Port Royal, unfortunately we haven't made it there yet. My Grandfather lived off Electric Ave in Lewistown just below you there on ole 322.
No where else in my life have I seen traffic just dead stopped and people get out and tail gate in the middle of the highway like for a Penn State Football game! I'm guessing on those days you guys just don't leave home.
Anyways lots of amazing chippers within a couple hour radius of you. I highly recommend trying to join one of these established games as often chipper hosts have lots of different kinds of chips you can check out without having to buy tons of samples.
That being said it is also important to note your budget... while often it increases drastically once you catch the chipping bug. If you are one of those $500 is the budget for Chips, chairs and a table... well then maybe stay away from these collections. Unfortunately once you touch leaded Paulsons they have a habit of ruining everything else, and many times 1 rack (100 chips) can cost you more than the above mentioned budget.
I would say the majority once they get their feet wet settle in with a nice set in the $2 - $3 per chip range.. certainly you can find quality for less, or much much more. But typically a 600 chip set breakdown in the $1,800 - $2,000 range can get you a quality set of "real clay chips" but again it is all about figuring out what YOU like and can afford... not what everyone else is doing.
Hopefully you can find that set and run away before the chipping bug gets you really bad! It's oknif it does, you are in good company here, many of us have 10 plus sets of poker chips we really don't need! Haha
Anything catching your eye so far?
Fellow Chipper Ben