Early Collectors versus now (1 Viewer)

[Aiairon]

Before internet chip sales, PCF, and eBay did everyone just harvest live chips? How did people get their hands on some of these older sets we occasionally see on here? Did we have a Jim before Jim? I read the thread about the riverboat mother-load and figured that has to be ultra rare. So everything else old just has to be stowed away somewhere and somehow avoided being thrown in the concrete foundation of a Vegas casino? I’m guessing older stuff doesn’t exist in quantity very often.

 

[coolguy101]

I’ve been going to vegas for 30 years now, and it never once occurred to me to try to harves chips or relabel them. Not until I joined this forum last year did I discover that was actually a thing. I’ve been kicking myself ever since. Especially because I happened to be at circus circus when they just brought in their new mint Paulson chips. I even commented on that to the dealers when I felt them. Never occurred to me I should take them home.

 

[Aiairon]

I’ve been going to vegas for 30 years now, and it never once occurred to me to try to harves chips or relabel them. Not until I joined this forum last year did I discover that was actually a thing. I’ve been kicking myself ever since. Especially because I happened to be at circus circus when they just brought in their new mint Paulson chips. I even commented on that to the dealers when I felt them. Never occurred to me I should take them home.

Can you imagine! Mint chips from any casino 30 or more years ago. Circus circus; I wonder if anyone has the ones you saw in quantity?! I’m betting it has happened by accident or someone back in the day wanted a quick home game and never returned the chips. Years ago I had a friend somehow traveled back to Texas from Vegas with a quite a few hundred dollars worth of $100 chips and his kids used them as toys. As far as I know they never made it back to be cashed. Haha.
It’s interesting to think how rare some of the old chips are. Could only be a couple survivors in existence for many casinos.

 

[coolguy101]

The new ones I was talking about was January 2019 when they switched to their new design. I was there for a week. Plenty of time to grab some. But I wish I had gotten some from those old casinos 30 years ago that are no longer in existence. I avoided those casinos because they looked old and dingy. I just wanted to go to the mirage and new cool places.

 

[Aiairon]

Yeah, I feel ya. Hindsight!
I used to pick up fracs, 1s, 2s, snappers and the occasional 5 while traveling. I wish I had gone to the cage more and picked through and found some mint chips. And more 5s.
Years ago at the commerce in Cali, (while traveling), a lady at the cage let me go through racks looking for a good Paulson 1 and 5. I think I found one while I was playing but they were really worn out. They had switched to chipco or some other plastic and only a few rough Paulson were left in play. They should have been retired but everything there was always trashed so you couldn’t tell the difference.

 

[CrazyEddie]

>Early Collectors versus now

 

[Rhodeman77]

Before internet chip sales, PCF, and eBay did everyone just harvest live chips? How did people get their hands on some of these older sets we occasionally see on here? Did we have a Jim before Jim? I read the thread about the riverboat mother-load and figured that has to be ultra rare. So everything else old just has to be stowed away somewhere and somehow avoided being thrown in the concrete foundation of a Vegas casino? I’m guessing older stuff doesn’t exist in quantity very often.

Before PCF there was another site a lot of us were on called Chiptalk. The owner of the site disappeared and let it fall into ruin.

 

[Aiairon]

Before PCF there was another site a lot of us were on called Chiptalk. The owner of the site disappeared and let it fall into ruin.

I was on chiptalk for quite some time but only bought chips there. I didn’t know why it shut down; disappeared, I wonder what that story is. I remember signing up for CT early on and finding PCF a little while later. Glad this is still around.
I was more curious as to pre-internet buying and trading. If chips were obtained in any type of quantity outside of the usual singles collectors. I’m guessing it was pretty limited with no network or enthusiasts.

 

[CrazyEddie]

Those are the people whose chips Windwalker and Navels are out there vacuuming up via ads in newspapers and searching through craigslist etc. People who acquired a stash of chips through various means and then have just been sitting on them for years or decades until someone finds them and gets them into the market (or puts them in their trophy room, as the case may be).

 

[ekricket]

I was on chiptalk for quite some time but only bought chips there. I didn’t know why it shut down; disappeared, I wonder what that story is. I remember signing up for CT early on and finding PCF a little while later. Glad this is still around.
I was more curious as to pre-internet buying and trading. If chips were obtained in any type of quantity outside of the usual singles collectors. I’m guessing it was pretty limited with no network or enthusiasts.

We would walk seven miles uphill to get to a chip trading meeting. Then 10 miles back home in the snow. When money got invented it was a big help, and the post office starting up was a godsend. But when cars got invented we started driving to big cities and going to stores like pawn shops and shit.

 

[Colquhoun]

30 years ago you could buy personal Paulson chips for your home game. Also the thought of paying $1 for a live $1 chip was ludicrous. Now, it’s a bargain.

 

[philhut]

I was on chiptalk for quite some time but only bought chips there. I didn’t know why it shut down; disappeared, I wonder what that story is. I remember signing up for CT early on and finding PCF a little while later. Glad this is still around.
I was more curious as to pre-internet buying and trading. If chips were obtained in any type of quantity outside of the usual singles collectors. I’m guessing it was pretty limited with no network or enthusiasts.

I believe the Site Owner of chip talk passed away leaving his fantastic site to time.....

 

[TheBigTater]

Very early collector sample set.

 

[TheBigTater]

I believe the Site Owner of chip talk passed away leaving his fantastic site to time.....

TMK, Ten is still alive and kicking.

 

[philhut]

TMK, Ten is still alive and kicking.

Hmm then he just left it to time.....

 

[Chip1525]

30 years ago you could buy personal Paulson chips for your home game. Also the thought of paying $1 for a live $1 chip was ludicrous. Now, it’s a bargain.

When I was buying my first set, I remember reading (probably on Chiptalk) that it didn't make sense to pay over $1/chip for singles and fracs that you could just harvest for face value. I remember thinking that was sound advice and deciding to only buy $5s and up.

Fast forward to today as I scramble to backfill those lower denominations...