Dunes - "The Dig" (1 Viewer)

[stratus51]

I was looking at this...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dunes-Casin...t-Condition-/321865343657?hash=item4af0ab62a9

and i noticed this....

"This auction is for a Dunes 9th issue $100 chip in excellent condition. It is from the trapezoid issue. The chip is in excellent condition with sharp edges and a clear, bright inlay. If it from The Dig, I don't see any evidence of it (see photos). There is no edge damage nor evidence of concrete. The chip seems new, but somebody owned it before me so it is listed as used. This chip seems as good as it gets."

If you'll excuse the pun, can anyone fill me in on this?

 

[links_slayer]

The put the old chips in concrete when the chips from that rack were retired. Nevada gaming commission requires them to be destroyed. Sometimes they grind 'em up, sometimes they bury them in concrete.

I'm not certain I have this entirely right so hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Just found an old thread on the Chip Board:

"Once upon a time, many casinos would simply dump older issued chips into the (wet cement) foundations of their casino expansions or vthe expansions of other casinos. Years later, when those properties were imploded or otherwise torn down, the demolition crews would come across the cement encrusted (and usually damaged) chips. From there, the chips would find their way into the collector marketplace." http://www.thechipboard.com/archives/archives.pl/bid/321/md/read/id/1143650/sbj/dunes-dig-chips/

 

[slisk250]

Didn't read the links. There are many dig chips out there. When they were building the Bellagio the workers unearths bags of used chips. There are other mint chips that found their way straight from the tables to some chip dealers in the area. All the used Dunes in my set are not trapezoid but are from the dig.

 

[sleepypiggly]

The old chips gotta so somewhere. The two old methods were concrete or lake. Now you have to shred them with witnesses, due to Nevada gaming regulations.

I think Spinetti bought the entire lot of Dunes chips from the dig. This is what it looks like when unearthed (picture not from Dunes dig). Here's another article about it.

http://vegasinc.com/business/gaming/2013/nov/05/where-do-poker-chips-go-die-look-lake-mead-and-cas/

 

[gmunny]

Links has it right, it is an old method of retiring old chips. In addition to the Dunes and Sands, a few more that i can think of are Pops Oasis in Jean NV, Playboy Casino in AC, Travel Lodge in Carson City NV, Pioneer in Laughlin.

One thing to note, they are still considered damaged chips and are usually less valuable than if you had a non-dig chip. Sometimes it is difficult to tell. The $100 Dunes in the auction is in good shape, but it is pretty easy to tell its from the dig. You can see a the large and small nicks on the edge and the inlay coloration is darker on one side. In addition, some not so obvious signs of a dig chip are warpage, inlay lift and clay discoloration. Also, you can see specks of concrete in the chip. Here are a few of my dig chips. The Sands is actually in great shape for a dig chip.

 

[MaxB]

Are those all racks of loose chips for sale behind him?

 

[slisk250]

There is a buttload of chips for sale that are on display. Who knows how many are in the vault. Can you see the Mapes over his right shoulder?

 

[stratus51]

Thanks for the replies guys. Fascinating. Why didn't the casinos just sell them? Worried dealers would take old chips by mistake?

 

[liftapint]

I need to go to Spinetti's. NEED!!

 

[links_slayer]

Why didn't the casinos just sell them?

As mentioned, the Nevada Gaming Commission says they can't sell them.

 

[MaxB]

There is a buttload of chips for sale that are on display. Who knows how many are in the vault. Can you see the Mapes over his right shoulder?

Good thing I didn't know about this place while out in Vegas .... and I wish I had known about Riviera closing as I would have grabbed more than a few chips (simple yet classy design with the R)

 

[Psypher1000]

I need to go to Spinetti's. NEED!!

I'm there every 2-3 months.

Don't be jealous

 

[AfterTheFact]

I met Mike while in Vegas at the 2015 chip convention. SUPER nice guy. He took time to speak with me and @41pickups. He showed us a video he took of his basement... Simply frigging amazing! He has a nice personal stash of Mapes down there also.

I met Mikko at the store, also a very nice guy.

 

[ovo]

so Mike and Mikko are two different guys ?

 

[AfterTheFact]

so Mike and Mikko are two different guys ?

Yes Mike is Mikko's uncle.

 

[stocky]

so Mike and Mikko are two different guys ?

I always get them mixed up.

 

[Puggy]

I met Mikko at the store, also a very nice guy.

Well of course he is. After all, he's finnish
Or methinks at least half/half. Dunno for sure. But Mikko sure is a finnish name.

 

[maxim_666666]

Thanks for the replies guys. Fascinating. Why didn't the casinos just sell them? Worried dealers would take old chips by mistake?

I think that this chip was in the concrete.
It seems to me that they kill them, because it would be a lot of fakes. Certainly less quality ....
and tons clumsy fakes ....
I had a case when I dropped to the floor almost new chip ASM ...
From it broke a large piece, and I glued it with superglue.
I replaced it with another new chip, and this added to the stack to shuffle. I think that almost all have chips that they carry in your pocket ...
And a few bloated labels also returned back ...
a few months later, I was unable to identify them among the 12 pieces ..