Man... the possibilities of what this listing would have uncovered 2 years ago... very different times and happy to see some people value their chips more than money. Good luck with the Hunt Alex!! Retirement sounds harsh, a listing like this scares me, you need to find that one set that speaks to you!! Not what other people say is "the best!"
Ben story time... this is a long one from the heart! Proceed with caution Hombres!!
As everyone knows like many others Brie and I came into this hobby guns blazing buying up all kinds of stuff... 5 sets, 10 sets, 20 freaking sets of poker chips!! But why... what was missing, why weren't they bringing me happiness? We open a set or a rack... throw it to the side and get right back online looking for the next thing!
Brie was different, she found her love for the PCAs very early on and even when people (including myself) told her that secondaries were out of her price range, she just shrugged her shoulders and moved on building her set! Since then she has built an absolutely amazing and envious set of chips that most are jealous of!
Every meet up and every event I would say ... "but I really don't have anything meet up worthy" every single response ever since has been exactly the same... "but you guys have PCAs"... while that sounds awesome that has always been "Bries baby" I really have nothing to do with that and therefore bring nothing to the table... I know everyone says "you guys have so many amazing chip sets" but really our local crew own so many top quality TRKs, Paulsons, HOF cutoms... it is very hard to compete in the MD/VA/PA area. Even my hard earned TRKs just seem second notch with Mapes, Rounders, Nevada Lodge...
So what would give me that Grail feeling, something unique that no one else had but would give me that feeling of... ohh those are Ben's chips! That feeling that I was doing something special in this hobby! The End of the road so to speak!
Not going to go into detail and bore everyone with the back story on the Jokers Wild chips... I plan to one day do a write up of my adventure but haven't got around to it yet. Anyways... Brie was trying to find a frac (my favorite chip ever) for K9DR before SQM this year... just a single chip... but in response we found one of those dreams... someone had these chips hiding in a closet for almost 30 years... far from playable as it didn't have $1s and very few $5s, but a playable quantity of my favorite chip ever! And the fact that we only know of 3 - 4 outside of the chips in our set. 100% rare, 100% desirable... I absolutely love anything circus related with bright colors and a Jester definitely takes the cake on this idea...
There is no way in 2021 I should be able to put together a Leaded shaped inlay
THC Cali set... all I can say is that I used my "one time" and things were meant to be with a ton of help from several members in the community!
All of a sudden... I am sitting at my little table looking at this!
It cost me way more than I would ever be comfortable saying... let's just say this one isnt going to be paid off for a while!
But as soon as I knew it was possible it clicked that I finally found my Grail set... one that would absolutely go to the grave with me... it doesn't matter if someone offered a hundred grand! There is absolutely no way I would part with these chips! Now 10 years from now... who knows, maybe I change my mind. My tastes may change and the "awesome, new and fresh" might wear off. But my point is that we all need to find that set that speaks to us on a personal level, also i am not a fan of buying a whole "turn key, ready to go set" money is just money. I earned these chips, I built the set. I hand cleaned, flattened and oiled everyone of them. I didn't buy them in one lot... there was no certainty of how long it would take me to accomplish this goal and I didn't care! 5 years... 10 years! I knew what I wanted and i am not sure I will ever consider this complete, I will always be hunting them!
But what it did was gave me peace! I can go weeks now with out checking the classifieds, I don't even care what the next big sale is. If something cool comes along... ok, if not who cares I have my babies...
Chipping Nirvana... yes, chipping retirement? Absolutely not! I love our hobby, I love our friends here on the forum. We are here for the long haul! A long way from chipping veterans! Yes I still consider myself a noob, not sure when I get to loose the "rookie driver" magnet. But I can see where you go throught the phases in this hobby and there are many along the journey..
1) come in "Guns a blazing" buy every damn thing you see without even thinking about it! Why because they are chips and they are awesome!! I need Moar Moar damn it!!
2) ok this is ridiculous, let me get rid of some of this random crap and try to concentrate on building a few nice sets to cover what I need! I think I know what I like but still not sure
2.5) let me step outside my comfort zone and attend a meet up with some other chipping nerds... I really am not comfortable but everyone says I need to try it!
Damn that was fun... XXX has the most amazing chips ever... why the hell am I over here wasting my time with this stuff! That is obviously where I need to be! But they started 10 years ago, I am never getting there
3) alright in reality a few sets of decent chips that I can cover any game, not that awesome but cool enough that people would ask to play them again... I am content!
3.5) are there any more meet ups coming up? Where... man I would really love the opportunity to meet xxx, yyy, zzz and it has been a while since I have seen a, b and C (
@Cliff LOL)
4) wait for it... it's coming!! That one time opportunity to actually buy something awesome!! (A HOF
CPC set, TRKs, Leaded
THC paulsons) omg is this really happening to me??
4.5) oh crap... I need to find more meet ups now. I have to show these off to my friends!!
5) oh... let's check the classifieds... yup those are pretty damn cool, but not like my XXX... keep scrolling. What end of new listings... but wait I didn't find a single chip I wanted.
5.5) that's ok I have those other meet ups coming later this year, I can relax and actually have some money in the bank and not worry about the cost of a burger at Wendy's this week and if I can pay my poker chip tab and my bills... life is good!
6) something cool pops up. That's awesome I actually like those better than my 5th best set... I will sell these and buy those. If it happens cool, if not who really cares. After all they are just chips right?
7) Congratulations you have made it to the top of the mountain! Hit cruise control, enjoy your chips, enjoy the game, your friends... if something unique pops up hell, go for it, if not that is ok too!
But NEVER RETIREMENT! Lol
Sorry for the mission statement! Home sick and alone with nothing better to do. Thise that made it this far... find me on "I heart radio" pod casts... I am under "the chipping idiot that thinks someone really is cares his opinions. Hes not actually that funny, and his long ass posts actually annoy the ever living f**k out of me!" Until next time!
Fellow chipper Ben
Ps. I do not have any pod casts... they would fire me in 5 minutes! Lol
Funny I typed this out before seeing the "podcast post!" As I said careful what you ask for Alex!! Lmao happy Monday Y'all!!