Purchasing Illegal club chips (1 Viewer)

[SBHistory]

Hey! I'm new to the forums, been collecting for many years now. I collect pretty exclusively illegal chips, mainly centered around Texas and Arkansas. I have bought all my chips from a combination of eBay, friends, antique stores, and the occasional lucky find at a yard sale. My real question here is, is there another place I could go looking for these chips? I see some people on here showing large purchases of full racks, or assortments of singles. I know some people on here sell, and I have discovered Spinettis, but thats about it. Any advice, guidance, or people willing to part with one chip out of a rack would be greatly appreciated! I mainly buy singles over large lots, so if someone has a rack of 1400 chips, Id probably only want one. Thanks for your time!

PS - Im also looking intently for any chips out of Istanbul, and Im also a buyer of dice and other casino items from illegal clubs.

TL : DR - ISO illegal club chips

 

[PokerDogDoc]

Welcome to PCF.
I collect vintage illegals from Jeffersonville, IN, where I used to live.

Other than scanning eBay and local Indiana garage sales, the best source for these types of chips is the Casino Chip & Collectibles Convention in Vegas every year, coinciding with the WSOP.

Mostly old guys selling and trading chips from all over… many are categorized in binders by state.

They have a meh website with a user-unfriendly forum board, and there are a few on this forum, too.

Here’s their website promoting the convention:

https://www.ccgtcc.org/events/convention/index.aspx

And here’s their own sub forum here in PCF:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/forums/cca-news-and-info.27/

Good luck!

 

[All_Out]

I also primarily collect illegals. Started with Texas and branched out from there. Aside from the places you mentioned (eBay, etc.) sometimes you will see them on thechipboard.com. As mentioned above, the CCA convention would be a great place to look. Finally, if you're not familiar with Ed Hertel's guide, check it out at www.chipster.net. He also some really great research articles.

 

[DrStrange]

this can be a frustrating snake pit.

Provance is tricky, looking for evidence of a crime. Sometimes the chips turned over very quickly - The Balinese room in Galveston was raided several times a week at the end. Chips were allegedly dumped into the ocean and replaced with a new lot of chips.

Sellers lie. Errr, are slightly misinformed sometimes.

What's an illegal card room? Nice thing, as a collector YOU get to decide if the chips are from an illegal room or custom chips for a private home game. It is pretty tough as a well-run illegal game is going to be almost indistinguishable from a higher stakes home game.

For that matter, are chips from a Texas "grey area" card room illegal?

but most important to me - - - - PICTURES. Let's see the goodies -=- DrStrange

PS I have one Balinese room chip of questionable province. About 70 small crown chips from the Victory club in San Francisco that match the chip guide. And a full playable set from a New York venue that was something between a private game or an unprosecuted criminal enterprise.

 

[nynit]

PS I have one Balinese room chip of questionable province. About 70 small crown chips from the Victory club in San Francisco that match the chip guide. And a full playable set from a New York venue that was something between a private game or an unprosecuted criminal enterprise.

Do you have the story and/or pictures of the New York venue? Or have you posted about it before where I can read? Thanks!

 

[DrStrange]

There aren't picture posts here, likely would have been on the long-departed chip talk.

The seller of the NY chips had little to say - maybe illegals, maybe home game no representations other than the photos. Purchased around ten years ago. I'll see if I can get a picture posted.

Hot stamped, V I P with denominations on the reverse -=- Drstrange

 

[jon1986]

Interesting post. Ive seen many references to "illegal casino" chips, but never really understood how they were distinguished from higher stakes home games...