Custom Ceramics Vendor... and GO! (2 Viewers)

Trihonda

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A few buddies are thinking of starting a poker room here in WI (once it gets legalized), and are asking me for advice on ceramic chip vendors. I've have varying experiences with the a few ceramic chip vendors, and wanted to get people's opinions on the ceramic chip vendors out there.

I fully understand that there are a couple vendors who are sponsors, so I'm not looking for anyone to bash one of the forum sponsors, but I would appreciate honest feedback and comparisons between the vendors. Let's keep it positive.

Considerations would be as follows:

1- Ability to handle large orders 10,000 chips or more.
2- Quality of printing
3- Ability to have aligned edges
4- Cost
5- Overall customer satisfaction

Thanks for your assistance!
 
A few buddies are thinking of starting a poker room here in WI (once it gets legalized), and are asking me for advice on ceramic chip vendors. I've have varying experiences with the a few ceramic chip vendors, and wanted to get people's opinions on the ceramic chip vendors out there
I have nothing helpful to contribute to this topic I just found that funny. Carry on :)
 
I have nothing helpful to contribute to this topic I just found that funny. Carry on :)

They were looking into CPC, but at around $1.50-$2.00/chip, buying 11,000 chips to start is a lot of scratch to come up with... and the turn-around time was a killer
 
going to have to do some digging, there are plenty of reviews out there for ceramic vendors. one important thing you would need to figure out is design, some vendors have upcharges for aligning edges and some make no promise they can align edges properly
 
They were looking into CPC, but at around $1.50-$2.00/chip, buying 11,000 chips to start is a lot of scratch to come up with... and the turn-around time was a killer
Ceramics are certainly the cheaper way to go. What I found funny was the repetition of the phrase ceramic chip vendors :D
 
Game on
PGI
OWPS (not sure about handling the order size??)
Abc gifts (same on size)

Of those and of samples I own Game On is my favorite for color/printing and quality.
 
Try PGI. The guys there are simply fantastic! The printing will have a better outcome if the designer(s) understand the process (namely the CMYK colors and how they print) and submit the highest quality images possible.
 
If I were opening a poker room and had decided on ceramics, for cost, quality, and professionalism, I'd go with Game On and it's not even close. I haven't gotten quotes for a 10k chip order, so I would imagine the volume discounts would cause these prices to change, but for a 1k chip order, I was quoted .60 each from Game On and .58 each from PGI IIRC.

See this thread re: comparison of PGI and Game On chips.

Lastly, if your friends get a gaming license and you do NOT somehow blackmail them into letting us all use it to set the new world record for Paulson group buys, you should be banned from this and any other poker chip-related forum.
 
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I have an (eventually) on deck ceramic project. My plan is to go with Game On Chip Company when I do it. They are not the cheapest option, but I think the saturation of color they achieve is deeper than anyone else I have seen.
 
I have an (eventually) on deck ceramic project. My plan is to go with Game On Chip Company when I do it. They are not the cheapest option, but I think the saturation of color they achieve is deeper than anyone else I have seen.

I haven't sought quotes from Old West or ABC in some time, but my recollection is that PGI is the only place that is cheaper than Game On and that was only by 2 cents per (again, IIRC).

Would probably be helpful to have at least this basic info if someone has it on hand. I reviewed my previous correspondence and it confirms that the prices I mentioned above - .58 each at PGI and .60 each at Game On - were quoted by the companies this past January. Now if anyone has Old West or ABC, that would be appreciated.
 
Lastly, if your friends get a gaming license and you do NOT somehow blackmail them into letting us all use it to set the new world record for Paulson group buys, you should be banned from this and any other poker chip-related forum.

Just the thought of this has me putting my table purchase plans on hold.
 
Lastly, if your friends get a gaming license and you do NOT somehow blackmail them into letting us all use it to set the new world record for Paulson group buys, you should be banned from this and any other poker chip-related forum.

It's not like GPI is going to check that the new "Tournament Set" they're sending to Wisconsin is actually going to see use, right? Did somebody say 43mm IHC T5k chip?
 
Didn't even see the poker room part.

Agreed with Jack. If they don't get Paulsons wishing run bad forever on their heads.
 
A few buddies are thinking of starting a poker room here in WI (once it gets legalized), and are asking me for advice on ceramic chip vendors. I've have varying experiences with the a few ceramic chip vendors, and wanted to get people's opinions on the ceramic chip vendors out there.

I fully understand that there are a couple vendors who are sponsors, so I'm not looking for anyone to bash one of the forum sponsors, but I would appreciate honest feedback and comparisons between the vendors. Let's keep it positive.

Considerations would be as follows:

1- Ability to handle large orders 10,000 chips or more.
2- Quality of printing
3- Ability to have aligned edges
4- Cost
5- Overall customer satisfaction

Thanks for your assistance!


I can probably answer a few of these based on my personal experiences with OWPS.

1) ?? I can't answer sorry
2) The quality of printing is great. I have never had a problem with anything I have ordered.
3) Face alignment and edge alignment are options
4) I'm impressed with the costs. I don't have a problem with any price I have paid on my chips, buttons, plaques. I feel I have gotten great value for my $.
5) I am VERY impressed with the final product.

May I add a #6? Customer service.
In my dealings with Salvatore, I have been treated as though I am the most important thing going on at that moment. He has dealt with every one of my needs on a professional level, and has even gone above and beyond with my requests. Every question I have asked has been answered, and in a timely matter. I can not praise Salvatore for his professionalism enough. he is wonderful to deal with.
 
I can probably answer a few of these based on my personal experiences with OWPS.

1) ?? I can't answer sorry
2) The quality of printing is great. I have never had a problem with anything I have ordered.
3) Face alignment and edge alignment are options
4) I'm impressed with the costs. I don't have a problem with any price I have paid on my chips, buttons, plaques. I feel I have gotten great value for my $.
5) I am VERY impressed with the final product.

May I add a #6? Customer service.
In my dealings with Salvatore, I have been treated as though I am the most important thing going on at that moment. He has dealt with every one of my needs on a professional level, and has even gone above and beyond with my requests. Every question I have asked has been answered, and in a timely matter. I can not praise Salvatore for his professionalism enough. he is wonderful to deal with.

What was your per chip price at Old West and in what quantity?
 
Over the years;

20 2" Dealer buttons $3.50ea
40 3" Dealer buttons $4.15ea
20 94mm plaques $4.75ea
20 107mm plaques $5.40ea
25 46mm chips $.85ea
 
Didn't even see the poker room part.

Agreed with Jack. If they don't get Paulsons wishing run bad forever on their heads.

Ya, I don't know all the restrictions with ordering Paulsons...

I do know that there's a legal decision in a couple weeks that will define whether live poker is a game of skill or game of chance and can be regulated/prohibited under the current gaming laws. Those behind the lawsuit are very confident (for a variety of reasons) that they will have a favorable outcome (I'm optimistic but skeptical)..

Of course the indian casinos want a monopoly, and are opposed. But there is a strong poker community in southern WI and there was a ton of money raised for the legal battle through various fundraising tourneys over the last couple years. Hell, everyone here plays poker, from cops, attorneys, ceo's, to the various members of the district attorney's office... Not too many people think live poker should be illegal...

These lawsuit folks are very smart, and are also moving ahead with plans to open a local poker room (~ten tables). They apparently have worked out a venue, and all the other logistics. I don't know if their business will constitute a "gaming license" or not, but they've got a decent legal team, so I'm sure they've got their ducks in a row.

I do know that they've explored a lot of chip options (with CPC, etc...). Not sure if Paulson would be an option...?
 
Over the years;

20 2" Dealer buttons $3.50ea
40 3" Dealer buttons $4.15ea
20 94mm plaques $4.75ea
20 107mm plaques $5.40ea
25 46mm chips $.85ea

Never bought any 39mm chips?
 
I would love to open/run a poker room. Right now in maine it would be illegal, wonder how much a team of lawyers would be..... :)
keep us updated sounds interesting and we will all want to see pics/buy samples when the order arrives
 
I would love to open/run a poker room. Right now in maine it would be illegal, wonder how much a team of lawyers would be..... :)
keep us updated sounds interesting and we will all want to see pics/buy samples when the order arrives

I can guarantee that the owners of any poker room will not allow samples to be ordered... For the same reason a casino would never allow it. Pics for sure.
 
I can guarantee that the owners of any poker room will not allow samples to be ordered... For the same reason a casino would never allow it. Pics for sure.
I'll bet you can get samples.....if you pay face value:D

There are live casino chips for sale all over
 
I'll bet you can get samples.....if you pay face value:D

There are live casino chips for sale all over

Sure.. face value. But he's planning on hundo chips, and I'm not paying face value for a hundo chip :)
 
I haven't sought quotes from Old West or ABC in some time, but my recollection is that PGI is the only place that is cheaper than Game On and that was only by 2 cents per (again, IIRC).

Would probably be helpful to have at least this basic info if someone has it on hand. I reviewed my previous correspondence and it confirms that the prices I mentioned above - .58 each at PGI and .60 each at Game On - were quoted by the companies this past January. Now if anyone has Old West or ABC, that would be appreciated.

Looked on the websites of ABC and OWPS just to finish this off and provide 39mm custom ceramic pricing:

PGI: .58/each
GOCC: .60/each
ABC: .72/each
OWPS: .65/each

The above numbers are for the highest available volume discounts known to me or published on the vendor's site. ABC states explicitly that orders for 2500 or more chips should contact for quotes, so further discount from the above price for a 10k chip order is all but certain. ABC will also align edges for an additional .15/each. I don't know the alignment fee from PGI/GOCC/OWPS, but I know for certain that PGI and GOCC offer alignment.

I have played live games with PGI, GOCC, and ABC chips and I have samples of OWPS chips and they are all high quality IMO. I greatly prefer the Chipco-style blanks used by PGI and GOCC. I have found that they stack better, shuffle better, and are generally just more stable in reasonable stacks.

I know there have been many others whose opinions I respect who swear by the print quality of ABC over any other vendor, but having looked at the print quality of the Nine Dragons and PCF tournament sets from GOCC and PGI, respectively, I believe both are capable of print quality equal to ABC. However, I ultimately prefer GOCC as I prefer their blanks (PGI's are more rounded), think their print quality is superior to PGI's, and I personally have found them to be more responsive.
 
Looked on the websites of ABC and OWPS just to finish this off and provide 39mm custom ceramic pricing:

PGI: .58/each
GOCC: .60/each
ABC: .72/each
OWPS: .65/each

The above numbers are for the highest available volume discounts known to me or published on the vendor's site.

OWPS offers a ChipTalk member price of 63c/chip for 39mm, and they offer a PCF discount of 10% (58.5c/chip for 39mm) for orders over $100 (5% discount if under $100). Details of each offer are in the OWPS forum on the respective boards.
 

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