Where do you find production numbers for LE chips?

wot_fan · #1 (**permalink**) 03-08-2006, 12:59 PM

Where can I find production numbers for limited editions chips?

Some chips, like this one:

have the number of chips made printed right on the chip. Others, like the Hard Rock chips, do not.

TIA for any info.

ross · #2 (**permalink**) 03-08-2006, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wot_fan

Where can I find production numbers for limited editions chips?

Some chips, have the number of chips made printed right on the chip. Others, like the Hard Rock chips, do not.

TIA for any info.

At one point Hard Rock had a lot of chip information on their site - it showed all the chips they've put out since inception (1995) and the quantities. A quick check to http://www.hardrockhotel.com/rock_collectables_chip.php shows information to the summer of 2005. Clicking on each chip shows the quantity.

A second choice is to look at TCR (The Chip Rack). The problem with that is that its only as good as the last edition (at this point a year and a half) but it will also contain the information.

Lately the hard rock chips have been coming out in a larger quantity (3000 and 5000 for the $5) - this is good and bad. It seems to have hurt the collectibility of the chip - some collectors dumping their collections on Ebay since releases have come out more often and in larger quantities (i.e., beanie babies), but for a collector who just wants one in their collection because they like the theme, or the artwork, it has made the product far easier to get at a reasonable cost. You can still go to the cage and get many of the latest releases (perhaps not in mint condition - but at least you can get it for face value).

wot_fan · #3 (**permalink**) 03-08-2006, 01:54 PM

Thanks ross for the excellent information. I am surprised that the Hard Rock chips sell for so much on eBay considering the numbers produced. Since I collect chips that I like the art work on, it really doesn’t matter to me how many were made. I was just curious.

Thanks again for the assistance.

Gaming Ore · #4 (**permalink**) 03-08-2006, 08:08 PM

Unless a chip is marked with the production number, it can be very difficult to know/learn production numbers. Although I suspect you might be asking about Limited Edition (LE) chips issued in Nevada, there is another chip guide that gives quantities for Atlantc City issued LE's. Called "Black's Catalog" it lists the production numbers for all Atlantic City, casino issued LE's.

As Ross indicated, The Chip Rack (TCR) tries to list quanties for Nevada LE's. But a while back there was an attempt to publish a Nevada-only, LE-only, chip price guide. Called "ChipStar" it was published in 1999, by Rene Nezhoda and has not been updated. It contains pictures of 800+ chips, while listing 1,400+ chips, with production quantities for all listed.

About the only other way to try and track these numbers is to monitor the various chip collector message boards (including this one).

But while we are on the subject, let me add some tidbits...

Chips that appear to be LE's are not always LE's. For example, the Gold Coast (Las Vegas) has a $5 chip for their annual, Rockabilly Weekend event. They look like LE's but they can (and have) been re-ordered through PaulSon. Only PaulSon and the Gold Coast know the production numbers.

Some LE's have high, and even very high, production numbers. For example, Hollywood Park (CA) has a $1 LE with a production number of 10,000! And that is printed on the chip!!

Some LE's are numbered with serial numbers and to some collectors the number is important. #1 is always the tough one to get, as is the last one. Next most popular are the 2 - 10 chips, especially #7. Then #'s 13, 21, 777, etc. I know one collector that seeks out serial numbers with her month and day of birth.

Some LE's are marked "1 of 1,000". This does not necessarily mean that it is chip #1, as all 1,000 are marked that way.

Jim (Gaming Ore) Follis