My advice is to buy the best chips you can afford (or can't afford), even if it means doing without while you save up enough coin to invest in a good set that will hold value.
Pretty much nothing new under 50c/chip is generally going to retain its value, but that doesn't mean you have to shell out $5/chip or even $1/chip to get a quality product that will maintain resale value. Cheap plastics tend to lose about 1/2 value the moment they leave the vendor (if you can resell them at all), and even china clays lose 25% of their value (or more) after purchase. So if buying any of those, the smartest option is to do so on the used chip market, where the depreciation has already occurred (instead of you taking the hit). But there are several options for decent chips that typically retain value and are reasonably affordable for people with the patience needed to save a little bit prior to purchasing something:
- used clay chips -- many used clay chips (mostly solids) can be purchased for 30c-50c each
- used ceramics -- often available for 30c-50c each, even used real casino chips
For new chips, several of today's ceramics are a decent and affordable option (~ 60c/chip) that will lose a little value, but not too much (pending which stock design is chosen). Ceramic hybrid chips offer one of the best performance/cost/value retention combinations available today (60c-75c per chip). And Gemaco clays can be purchased for under $1/chip new, and often for less than $1/chip if used.
All of those chip options will hold their value well, so that after you've saved up even more funds, they can be liquidated giving you the capital needed to invest in something really nice.
I wish someone had explained all this when I first started, and I could have avoided buying seven relatively worthless sets (cheap no-denom slugged plastics, cheap denominated slugged plastics, better slugged chips, non-slugged plastics, better non-slugged plastics, cheap ceramics, and china clays) before I finally figured it out on my own. I sold four of the sets for a loss, have offers for pennies on the dollar for two others, and can't even give away the last set.... and that's all money down the drain I'll never get back.
But I've never taken a loss on a high-end chip purchase (not to say it couldn't happen, but it's rare).... it's just a matter of getting the initial capital together for
the first time purchase. It's totally worth it to do so, so save up and get the better stuff (which you can later sell to get other good stuff, if desired). You'll be happier long term, and save money while doing it.
The key to high-end chip ownership happiness is viewing it as a lease arrangement, not a purchase decision. Take care of your chips, and they'll take care of you.
