What is a "Grail" set? (1 Viewer)

IMO grail, when selling a set is half a step above "official casino weight". I've bought a lot of sets, but none where the seller put "grail set" in the description. It sounds like a cheap marketing ploy. King Arthur wouldn't sell the Holy Grail if he found it, so why are you?

I am more in line with those that call a grail set "nearly unobtainable". Something you piece together for years. Something you cannot just buy, even if you had the funds. King Arthur would have just bought the grail if cost a fortune. He was the king, money wasn't the limiting factor.

In fact, I suspect the only grail set is guarded by a Frenchman with an oooooutrageous accent.

Guarded by the French, and difficult/impossible to get for any price?
259400


Hell, I can't even find a good photo of the one true grail!
 
So sounds like the most commonly accepted definition of a grail set is one that is hard to put together despite the price someone is willing to pay? AKA if someone had $50,000 to spend to get a single playable set of X chips, it would still be difficult for them? Thus grail set?

I know it doesn't fully fit the definition above but for me it'd be Lakeside Inn's.
 
....In fact, I suspect the only grail set is guarded by a Frenchman with an oooooutrageous accent.

Agreed -- IMO, these chips are way, way more enticing than Aztar stamped tourneys. Even my ordinary ACFs would be among the last three sets out the door.

Now go away, or I shall taunt you some more.
 
IMO grail, when selling a set is half a step above "official casino weight". I've bought a lot of sets, but none where the seller put "grail set" in the description. It sounds like a cheap marketing ploy. King Arthur wouldn't sell the Holy Grail if he found it, so why are you?

I am more in line with those that call a grail set "nearly unobtainable". Something you piece together for years. Something you cannot just buy, even if you had the funds. King Arthur would have just bought the grail if cost a fortune. He was the king, money wasn't the limiting factor.

In fact, I suspect the only grail set is guarded by a Frenchman with an oooooutrageous accent.

Guarded by the French, and difficult/impossible to get for any price?
View attachment 259400

Hell, I can't even find a good photo of the one true grail!
Funny thing, that set does nothing for me. If it were given to me, I’d flip it right around. To each their own, right!!
 
Funny thing, that set does nothing for me. If it were given to me, I’d flip it right around. To each their own, right!!
Your grail, my grail... obviously different. That's the great (and terrible) things about chips. Some people's loves are other's despicable sets.

Chips, they're like women. One's love is another's divorcee.

Actually, chips aren't like women. Otherwise @detroitdad would have been married more times than Elizabeth Taylor.
 
Your grail, my grail... obviously different. That's the great (and terrible) things about chips. Some people's loves are other's despicable sets.

Chips, they're like women. One's love is another's divorcee.

Actually, chips aren't like women. Otherwise @detroitdad would have been married more times than Elizabeth Taylor.

What's important is that at 20 years old I didn't screw it up.
 
My grail set would be the chips used In the 2003 wsop. Those chips just spark so many memories and it’s really the chips that got me looking at chips. The fact that someone on here actually has a playable set blows my mind. Those are my grail chips. Everything else is just a nice chip set.
 
IMO grail, when selling a set is half a step above "official casino weight". I've bought a lot of sets, but none where the seller put "grail set" in the description. It sounds like a cheap marketing ploy. King Arthur wouldn't sell the Holy Grail if he found it, so why are you?

I am more in line with those that call a grail set "nearly unobtainable". Something you piece together for years. Something you cannot just buy, even if you had the funds. King Arthur would have just bought the grail if cost a fortune. He was the king, money wasn't the limiting factor.

In fact, I suspect the only grail set is guarded by a Frenchman with an oooooutrageous accent.

Guarded by the French, and difficult/impossible to get for any price?
View attachment 259400

Hell, I can't even find a good photo of the one true grail!
here is a better photo of the grail chips you seek! (i don't have them....borrowed pic).
259532
LOL....fuzzy on purpose...just to mess with you.
 
My grail set would be the chips used In the 2003 wsop. Those chips just spark so many memories and it’s really the chips that got me looking at chips. The fact that someone on here actually has a playable set blows my mind. Those are my grail chips. Everything else is just a nice chip set.

Agree. Who has them?
 
Grail should be a quest - the thrill is in the chase. If you acquire it, it's no longer a grail.
Not sure I agree with this -- sometimes dreams do come true.

No grail set will ever be in a classified. If it's a grail set you don't sell it.
Not sure I totally agree with this definition either, but you make a good point about whether or not it's a grail set in the seller's eyes.

My list of grail sets would include Lakeshore Inns, Aztar Spotted tournament chips, Starlite Cruises, Paul’s RVCL cash set, the R&O cash set, both Grand Casino tournament sets, and playable Dunes cash or tourney sets with all original denoms.
Interesting..... because I both acquired -- and then later sold -- three of those sets you listed. So apparently, they weren't my grail sets.... or I'd still have them. Sold my PCA's and Aztars too, so apparently neither of those were a grail set in my eyes, either. All five sets were truly magnificent, however, and so are the other sets you listed above -- but I wouldn't consider them grail sets, either. I've had the opportunity to buy and own several of them, and passed..... because I felt there were better sets out there (and a true grail set cannot be superseded by another set, imo).

I still have the ACF clay tourney chips, although I really don't consider them a grail set (I think I did when I first started acquiring them, though). Also have the GCOP set, which many consider a grail set (personally, I don't). Current favorite tourney set in the collection is the ES primary tourney set, which isn't perfect, but pretty close imo (and still not a grail set to me, although I understand it is to others). Favorite cash set in the collection is the 20th Century set, which are probably the closest thing I have to a grail set (but I don't think it really is, either).

If I had to sit down and really pick a single grail set (there can be only one, right?) it would be a set from a closed casino that will never-ever be available, no matter how hard or long the search -- it's unobtainable. And @Darson, if somehow it miraculously did become available, I would jump on the purchase, and it would still be 'the grail set' -- just sitting in my chip room instead of somebody else's, that's all. :)


I think current usage of 'grail set' really is defined as 'highly desired by many and very difficult to obtain', and since people have different chip tastes, there will always be more than one 'highly desired' or 'grail' set out there, based on individual preferences.
 
It obviosuly means different things to different people but like Dave says, I’ve acquired and sold (and rebought) sets that I originally thought were my grail sets.

These days my list would be fairly similar to @kmccormick100 list, but maybe with the Olivia’s added in there.

My really grail set would be a THC set of full customs designed by me.
 
@BGinGA if your grail set is in your safe and you never open the door, how do you know it’s really there?
 
You don’t have a WiFi camera with LED lights inside your safe!? :whistle: :whistling:
Come on man, no self respecting safe owner would accept anything other than lead lined. How else do you stop Superman from checking out your goods?
 
So nice to see a calm and peaceful discussion about the definition of "grail sets", especially since there was a lot of negative feelings when I mentioned that the Star chips weren't one to me.

I look at grail sets in two ways... firstly, to paraphrase the "urban dictionary" definition, it's that "set of chips someone will do anything for.. including selling or trading their whole collection for it." For some, it'll be that mint set of casino Paulsons; for me, it was my custom ASM order from 2006 that was based around my daughter's childhood.

Secondly, a "grail set" can be that unobtainable set of chips -- for example, I'm sure there's a lot of people who would love to own the chips used at the first WSOP tournaments. Maybe it is a set from the heyday of Las Vegas. Not enough cash or availability to find them in enough quantities...

However, I agree that the personal definition of "grail" will change over time... I mean, I remember the days of CT when custom ASMs with edgespots beyond 312 were considered "unobtainable", and grail sets included the very rare and scandalous x14. ;)
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account and join our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top Bottom