Cancel Stamp Surgery: Success or Regret? (8 Viewers)

[bananamankevin]

Looking for some opinions from the chip community.

These River City chips were casino-canceled with hot-stamped gold starburst cancellation marks on the inlays. The common collector approach seems to be removing the cancel stamps to better reveal the original denomination and artwork underneath.

In the photo, the chips on the left still have the original cancel stamp intact. The chips on the right show examples of my removal attempts.

My process was a soak in 70% isopropyl alcohol followed by careful scrubbing with a Sonicare toothbrush head. Results were highly variable. The green $25s cleaned up fairly well, but many of the $5s and $100s retained significant gold residue. I suspect a lot depends on how deeply or evenly the original cancel stamp was applied.

The challenge is that even when the gold is mostly removed, there is often still visible residue and/or an indentation left in the inlay where the stamp was pressed. From a collector standpoint, I'm not sure whether a partially removed stamp actually looks better than an intact cancel. From a personal standpoint, the partially removed stamp looks terrible and triggers my OCD.

So I'm curious what others prefer:

• Leave the original cancel stamps intact?
• Remove them completely when possible?
• Attempt removal even if some residue remains?

Photo caption: The left most chips are original cancel stamp. The 3 on the right are full good-faith attempts at stamp removal with alcohol soak + toothbrush. Probably at least 1-2 minutes of heavy scrub per chip.

 

[BKisback]

The ones on the right look good. The stamp leaves an impression on the chip, so that's how I'd expect these to look after removal. There are some threads out there about getting the last few bits off. The hard work will pay off at the end!

 

[dizzyChipper]

Looking for some opinions from the chip community.

These River City chips were casino-canceled with hot-stamped gold starburst cancellation marks on the inlays. The common collector approach seems to be removing the cancel stamps to better reveal the original denomination and artwork underneath.

In the photo, the chips on the left still have the original cancel stamp intact. The chips on the right show examples of my removal attempts.

My process was a soak in 70% isopropyl alcohol followed by careful scrubbing with a Sonicare toothbrush head. Results were highly variable. The green $25s cleaned up fairly well, but many of the $5s and $100s retained significant gold residue. I suspect a lot depends on how deeply or evenly the original cancel stamp was applied.

The challenge is that even when the gold is mostly removed, there is often still visible residue and/or an indentation left in the inlay where the stamp was pressed. From a collector standpoint, I'm not sure whether a partially removed stamp actually looks better than an intact cancel. From a personal standpoint, the partially removed stamp looks terrible and triggers my OCD.

So I'm curious what others prefer:

• Leave the original cancel stamps intact?
• Remove them completely when possible?
• Attempt removal even if some residue remains?

Photo caption: The left most chips are original cancel stamp. The 3 on the right are full good-faith attempts at stamp removal with alcohol soak + toothbrush. Probably at least 1-2 minutes of heavy scrub per chip.
View attachment 1694965

If the impression triggers you then leave the stamp. The impression is staying.

 

[foreverdev]

I love hot stamps / over stamps on a label.. something about it feels different and vintage. I considered removing the label on one side and putting a Gear label on it for clarity while still maintaining the over stamp on one side.

 

[upNdown]

They're flawed chips - they look bad with the stamp removed and worse with it intact. Some people don't mind; some people do. You can either get comfortable with them or get different chips. My order of preference:
1. Get different chips
2. Remove the stamps as best I can
3. Leave the stamp

 

[Tonysquander]

You can never get rid of the impressions without relabeling. The laminate cover was basically melted when it was stamped. You’re going to have the best chance of success with single stamped chips. Double stamped ones are always going to be a mixed bag. My theory on why is that when it gets hit with the second stamp, the plastic melts over some of the earlier stamp foil and you just cannot reach it with the chemicals or clean it out fully. Below are some Foxwoods $25s that were double stamped. I hit them with everything you can imagine, NAPR, US with full TSP, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, degreaser, pick work...every theory out there, and there are still remnants lefts because I simply cannot get to it for removal purposes.

 

[suchj0sh]

They look good with the stamps removed.

My decision would be based entirely on how they stack with the stamp vs. without.

 

[dizzyChipper]

They're flawed chips

They’re chips that tell a story.

I think, for the price, you can’t do better. Keep them as is. Enjoy them. I wouldn’t bother with removal.

 

[bananamankevin]

You can never get rid of the impressions without relabeling. The laminate cover was basically melted when it was stamped. You’re going to have the best chance of success with single stamped chips. Double stamped ones are always going to be a mixed bag. My theory on why is that when it gets hit with the second stamp, the plastic melts over some of the earlier stamp foil and you just cannot reach it with the chemicals or clean it out fully. Below are some Foxwoods $25s that were double stamped. I hit them with everything you can imagine, NAPR, US with full TSP, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, degreaser, pick work...every theory out there, and there are still remnants lefts because I simply cannot get to it for removal purposes.

I simultaneously love and hate your post. You've saved me a lot of time (I was about to do US with full TSP today)... but have also taken away all hope and my will to live. .

I think I just need to accept the label and change my mindset that these chips aren't meant to be pristine, but that the stamp is part of the chip's history and heritage...... or something like that.

Or I suppose I buy a drill press and do that whole thing... but then I'm afraid of removing clay, and plus the drill press won't work for my $5 chips with the Giant Overlay, so those are stuck. Hmmm....

 

[bananamankevin]

They look good with the stamps removed.

My decision would be based entirely on how they stack with the stamp vs. without.

They actually stack perfectly well with the stamps intact. VERY slight catching when shuffling chips, but that catch exists even on my removed label chips (probably just the melted laminate rather than the gold part).

 

[upNdown]

I think, for the price, you can’t do better.

This is true.

 

[Rieguy]

You can never get rid of the impressions without relabeling. The laminate cover was basically melted when it was stamped. You’re going to have the best chance of success with single stamped chips. Double stamped ones are always going to be a mixed bag. My theory on why is that when it gets hit with the second stamp, the plastic melts over some of the earlier stamp foil and you just cannot reach it with the chemicals or clean it out fully. Below are some Foxwoods $25s that were double stamped. I hit them with everything you can imagine, NAPR, US with full TSP, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, degreaser, pick work...every theory out there, and there are still remnants lefts because I simply cannot get to it for removal purposes.

View attachment 1695023

To echo this, I have a similar problem as you could see in the other thread linked in your "find" thread.

It appears the canceled leaded THCs a la Foxwood's and Hinkley are significantly deeper and tougher to remove. When people say stamp removal is "easy", they aren't referring to these two chips or typically providing options that are going to leave the original clay and/or colors completely unchanged.

That said, the fact they are older THC helps insofar as that they have textured inlays, so when the scrubbing/maintenance happens, the inlays themselves aren't going to look scratched up or beat to shit. Unfortunately, newer cancellations on unleaded chips with smooth label RHCs are going to have a bad time if you do any heavy scrubbing. Your results are going to come out significantly better with a successful soak followed by a soft q-tip for removal. Any abrasive brush, like you are using, on a smooth label is going to provide results most would be unhappy with.

I say you either leave them as is or come back with a new removal method.

 

[joeyshin]

I imagine you’re trying to preserve the original labels. They will always have the indentation of the hotstamp. I think there’s solvents you can use to melt the foil but may risk melting more than you want. I know people used to scrape them before.

I just milled my crown casino cancelled chips since I was going to relabel anyways.

 

[bananamankevin]

I imagine you’re trying to preserve the original labels. They will always have the indentation of the hotstamp. I think there’s solvents you can use to melt the foil but may risk melting more than you want. I know people used to scrape them before.

I just milled my crown casino cancelled chips since I was going to relabel anyways.

I might end up milling them if the cancel stamp bothers me too much. Any ideas on how to fix the red giant inlay? Can't really mill that out right?

 

[ekricket]

Just sell them. You are never going to be happy. No matter what you do to them they are not going to be brand new PCA’s ever.

 

[CardRally]

Solutions, starting with the easiest:
A. Love what you have.
B. Sell the CDMs. Use the money to buy canceled RHC $1s.
C. Sell $5, $25, $100. Buy CDMs.
D. Sell $1 and $5. Remove inlays on $25 and $100. Buy new $1 and $5 and remove inlays. Create a custom set.

 

[bananamankevin]

Solutions, starting with the easiest:
A. Love what you have.
B. Sell the CDMs. Use the money to buy canceled RHC $1s.
C. Sell $5, $25, $100. Buy CDMs.
D. Sell $1 and $5. Remove inlays on $25 and $100. Buy new $1 and $5 and remove inlays. Create a custom set.

You're totally right. I'm going to try to do A really really hard.... but in my bones, I think D is the likely trajectory of my life. Thankfully its not like there is a rush to make any sort of decision. I feel like if I do sell the CDMs and $5s they aren't going to significantly increase or decrease in value, so I've got time to decide.

This is the trap of this forum! Ignorance was bliss, but now I know of all the possibilities!

 

[GamingWithChips]

Thankfully its not like there is a rush to make any sort of decision. I feel like if I do sell the CDMs and $5s they aren't going to significantly increase or decrease in value, so I've got time to decide.

This is the trap of this forum! Ignorance was bliss, but now I know of all the possibilities!

Not judging, but I wouldn't worry much about the value of selling them as you only paid $0.06 per chip lol. You found a treasure regardless. I'd personally use them or sell them at, or slightly below market value to make another chipper happy.

But that's just my hippy dippy outlook on things...

 

[CardRally]

You're totally right. I'm going to try to do A really really hard.... but in my bones, I think D is the likely trajectory of my life. Thankfully its not like there is a rush to make any sort of decision. I feel like if I do sell the CDMs and $5s they aren't going to significantly increase or decrease in value, so I've got time to decide.

This is the trap of this forum! Ignorance was bliss, but now I know of all the possibilities!

The best part of D is it gives you a lot of chipping to do. If you like that sort of thing.

 

[bananamankevin]

Not judging, but I wouldn't worry much about the value of selling them as you only paid $0.06 per chip lol. You found a treasure regardless. I'd personally use them or sell them at, or slightly below market value to make another chipper happy.

But that's just my hippy dippy outlook on things...

Oh for sure. If I sold, it wouldn't be to make money, but more like an extended trade with cash as the middle man until I can find the types of chip I want. At the end of the day I'm just happy to have a somewhat interesting home chipset vs a standard walmart set!