Taking chips abroad (for sale), any issues? (1 Viewer)

[Jaxen]

I've got a Canadian interested in one of my sets. While discussing the best way to ship this week I discovered one of my colleagues will be in/near his town (Toronto) next week and, if we can work it out, agreed to take the set with him and meet up for pickup.
Has anyone crossed the border with chips? Are they something to declare, or can my guy just call them personal property ("We're having a card game while I'm in town!") that he conveniently doesn't return home with?
Thinking the best way to fly with them would be in the checked bag. I've offered to pack them in a decent sized shoebox.

 

[JMC9389]

Never check chips if you're flying. Keep them with you at all times as your personal item and carry them onto the plane and store them overhead or under your seat if the case is low profile enough.

 

[cpac54]

I’ve flown with chips internationally several times without issue. Carry-on is the way to go. They will want to inspect them as chips show up as a giant clump on the x-ray. I always take them out in advance so they’re easy to show and be identified by TSA/security.

 

[Jaxen]

Don't they get "extra scrutiny" at TSA? That's what I'm trying to avoid for my buddy, as most int'l flights go out of a separate terminal in Orlando.

 

[cpac54]

Don't they get "extra scrutiny" at TSA? That's what I'm trying to avoid for my buddy, as most int'l flights go out of a separate terminal in Orlando.

Not really, but they’ll most likely want to see what they are. They show up as a giant clump on the x-ray and aren’t easily identified that way.

 

[Kam]

This is how they’ll look through X-Ray:

I’ve flown domestically and internationally with 10-12 racks at a time. Only once was stopped for a cursory look, zero interest outside of them not looking normal on the X-Ray.

 

[Jaxen]

Back to the original question, they can pass declaration-free through customs, right?

 

[Kam]

Back to the original question, they can pass declaration-free through customs, right?

Did for me.

Results may vary I suppose, I wouldn’t sweat it.

GL.

 

[MatrixExplosion]

As long as he says they're for personal use (if they inspect the chips) and he doesn't mentioning anything about a sale

Back to the original question, they can pass declaration-free through customs, right?

 

[Tonysquander]

I've got a Canadian interested in one of my sets. While discussing the best way to ship this week I discovered one of my colleagues will be in/near his town (Toronto) next week and, if we can work it out, agreed to take the set with him and meet up for pickup.
Has anyone crossed the border with chips? Are they something to declare, or can my guy just call them personal property ("We're having a card game while I'm in town!") that he conveniently doesn't return home with?
Thinking the best way to fly with them would be in the checked bag. I've offered to pack them in a decent sized shoebox.

Checking them is the biggest issue and I would never do it. They are going to get pulled and inspected either way. Best bet for safe travel is carry-on.

 

[LifeForm]

Back to the original question, they can pass declaration-free through customs, right?

Yeah they don’t care at all.

 

[SwissChip]

It‘s the same as carrying a camera bag.
Open it - show what’s inside and you‘re good to go.

 

[BigGrizz]

Back to the original question, they can pass declaration-free through customs, right?

I really can't imagine why they would care. Not a weapon. Not actual money. Not illegal in any way. If asked why you have them (which you probably wouldn't be in an offical capacity) then you are hosting a game with friends while visiting.

 

[DrStrange]

It seems like I have had more interesting experiences in my travels than most people here.

I have been stopped by TSA twice for enhanced inspection with chips.

One time in Salt Lake City headed home where the inspection was looking for excess value in live chips. The agent was quite experienced in poker chip topics and was very aware of live vs dead chips. My chips were long dead and weren't worth much in face value anyway. Nice guy though.

A second time was in San Antonio where my travel mate was inspected on the way to a Denver meet-up.

Customs flagged me in the Caymen Islands with a warning that poker chips might not be legal in their nation and to be sure I took them back home with me.

This was before the trade wars broke out. The risk OP is engaged in smuggling might not be ignored, but realistically no one is going to care about a hundred bucks of unpaid tariffs. The chips aren't good for sale in Canada; it is for a poker game - right?

Take the advice about packing in carry-on seriously. I have had a number of people think my chips are worth face value. Even people who should know better like my insurance agent. Someone might see a rack of black chips in your checked bags and think that is an easy ten grand ripe for the taking.

DrStrange

 

[philhut]

I had no issues going thru but was stopped coming home with racks in the white boxes. Understandably that may have looked like something else on the baggage scanner.

My most difficult item at baggage was briefcase with measuring tapes inside. I was at the Fredricton Airport in New Brunswick just at a time when the nearby armed forces base was deploying to Afghanistan. I had 6 armed security asking me questions in seconds before opening my bag. They showed me the scanner after laughing about it...measuring tapes in a briefcase look like WW2 pineapple hand grenades....crazy