Frustrations with hard to find denominations... (1 Viewer)

[TheJestyr]

Just some random venting...I'm sure this has been addressed before, but man it's so frustrating!

I've recently starting going through my addiction collection again and it's kinda ridiculous how many chip sets I've wanted to build over the years...from various Horseshoe Cleveland chips to Grand Vics to Dunes...but something just keeps popping up...

lack of random denominations.

For instance, there were SO few t500 chips with the HS Cle WSOP chips. Or like I had a heck of a time finding the large inlay Outpost $20 (never actually did find them...but still have like 2,000x 1, 5, and 100 chips...)

I know in some instances there were just production shortages, but I can't fathom why some denoms are just so much harder to acquire!

And don't get me started on big chips, I know those can get tough just because of the rarity in many cases, but it's just so frustrating to have a gorgeous set, but not be able to find a few racks of a certain denom and therefore not be able to use said set...

ah well...thanks for listening!

 

[judgeanjury]

This is why, unless I hit the lottery, I think I will never go for a set with fracs. They seem so hard to find at times and expensive. However, those pinks really pop so maybe I just need to cave in.

 

[FDLmold]

Make every set a mixed set?

 

[allforcharity]

Manufacture what you need. This is why there is a customization market.

 

[churlbut18]

I think this is one of the reasons why mixed sets are popular... one of the advantages of mixed sets is that you can pick and choose the best/available denominations from many sets...

 

[upNdown]

For instance, there were SO few t500 chips with the HS Cle WSOP chips.

I don't know how few is SO few, but was that just a case that the casino didn't order very many of them? They're kind of a useless chip in a tournament that uses T1k's - you can get away with only 3 or 4 per starting stack.
I think another part of the problem, with big chips, is when we use cash chips for tournament play, we need more than they made. Like, to me, a good tournament breakdown will require more than twice as many 1ks as 500's, and almost as many 1k's as 25's and 100's. I'm sure those ratio's are WAY off from how casinos order their cash chips.

 

[Eloe2000]

Honestly if it was easy then it wouldn’t be much of a hobby.

As they say... “there is a reason it is called fishing, not catching”

 

[Taghkanic]

I’ve become a fan of overlabeling with Gear labels. Sure, it is less “pure” than getting the original denom, or full inlay replacement. But you can get a base chip that fits arguably even better into your set than the original, and still have things match up.

 

[MathijsVS]

Manufacture what you need. This is why there is a customization market.

I know this thread is about actual casino chips, but I've been playing with a micro-stakes idea for a custom set for a while now...

It's a weird idea to spend $1+ per chip for a very fancy ç1/ç5/ç25/etc set

 

[BGinGA]

I know this thread is about actual casino chips, but I've been playing with a micro-stakes idea for a custom set for a while now...

It's a weird idea to spend $1+ per chip for a very fancy ç1/ç5/ç25/etc set

My fav story is about the rack of dimes that sold for $700. We are certifiably nuts.

 

[MathijsVS]

My fav story is about the rack of dimes that sold for $700. We are certifiably nuts.

Time to up down the ante! Let's play ç0.01/ç0.02 Omaha!

 

[TheJestyr]

I’ve become a fan of overlabeling with Gear labels. Sure, it is less “pure” than getting the original denom, or full inlay replacement. But you can get a base chip that fits arguably even better into your set than the original, and still have things match up.

Gear has been an amazing resource that I've used several times! Great, high quality product that really keeps the "vibe" of the chip set. However there's still labels that Gear won't produce in order to keep the value and integrity of chips...so while I love having some personalized labels, as well as some .05 and .10 labels made for existing sets, it doesn't always help when looking for certain chips or inlay styles.

 

[TheJestyr]

I know this thread is about actual casino chips, but I've been playing with a micro-stakes idea for a custom set for a while now...

It's a weird idea to spend $1+ per chip for a very fancy ç1/ç5/ç25/etc set

While I LOVE playing bigger games, lately all my close friends and I play anymore is .05/.10...maybe someday we'll even go .01/.02 but at that point we'd prolly start playing pinochle...

 

[TheJestyr]

My fav story is about the rack of dimes that sold for $700. We are certifiably nuts.

I understand the need to scratch an itch, but that's a bit excessive...maybe it's cuz I hate dimes though...like, just give me nickels and quarters...who really needs dimes? They're like $2 bills....

 

[MathijsVS]

While I LOVE playing bigger games, lately all my close friends and I play anymore is .05/.10...maybe someday we'll even go .01/.02 but at that point we'd prolly start playing pinochle...

It's about keeping a balance. Truth is that poker isn't as popular around these parts as I'd want it to be, so a lot of casual players don't like playing high stakes.
Direct consequence is that the stakes have to be quite low to get enough people interested (at which point the more serious players start balking)

 

[allforcharity]

Rack of Jack quarters went for over $800, too.

 

[Taghkanic]

However there's still labels that Gear won't produce in order to keep the value and integrity of chips...

I’d not heard/encountered this before. What are some examples?

 

[Thisfiendis138]

However there's still labels that Gear won't produce in order to keep the value and integrity of chips

Did anyone have an example of this? I’m currently murdering chips for a relabeling that may fit into this category

 

[BGinGA]

Ask @Gear.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Ask @Gear.

Woah woah woah. Let's calm down with the easy answers here.

 

[Taghkanic]

Rack of Jack quarters went for over $800, too.

I’m pretty darn happy with my 2+ racks of Gear-relabeled faux Jack quarters (formerly Terribles).

 

[TheJestyr]

@Taghkanic and @Thisfiendis138

I had two instances where Gear was not comfortable printing exactly what I wanted. Both were completely understandable and we worked through it and I'm thrilled with the outcome, but they are as follows:

I wanted to create "Horseshoe Cleveland" nickels and quarters. Due to Gear's concerns we went with "Horseshoe Cardroom" instead.

For another set, the $5 and the $500 were pretty similar. I wanted to get $500 labels made to slap on some different chips. Gear had concerns that could cheapen the limited existing pool of $500 chips that were out there. Again, we worked out a great solution and I left the ordeal thrilled.

Overall not huge issues, but if you have your heart set on something, I'd confirm it with Gear before you bank on it.

Also the labels turned out great and I'd go back to @Gear in a heartbeat!!

 

[Thisfiendis138]

@Taghkanic and @Thisfiendis138

I had two instances where Gear was not comfortable printing exactly what I wanted. Both were completely understandable and we worked through it and I'm thrilled with the outcome, but they are as follows:

I wanted to create "Horseshoe Cleveland" nickels and quarters. Due to Gear's concerns we went with "Horseshoe Cardroom" instead.

For another set, the $5 and the $500 were pretty similar. I wanted to get $500 labels made. Gear had concerns that could cheapen the limited existing pool of $500 chips that were out there. Again, we worked out a great solution and I left the ordeal thrilled.

Overall not huge issues, but if you have your heart set on something, I'd confirm it with Gear before you bank on it.

Also the labels turned out great and I'd go back to @Gear in a heartbeat!!

Thank you very much for going into detail
I want to do something similar, add Nickels and Quarters to my Aransas Queen Casino set (along with 43mm big denoms into the tourney set, which I’ve seen done https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/aransas-rhc-relabel-sets.51954/ )
And also considering the availability of AQ 500’s, I’m also thinking of making a new 500.
I’ll hit @Gear with a follow up and hope to work with him on this project.
Thank you again