[develvjd-]

600-ct Acrylic "Bird Cage" Poker Chip Case

Manufacturer: Unknown
Retailer(s): eBay Store Discount City
Average Price: $30 each (including racks), sold only in sets of two.
Material: Acrylic
Member Review by: develvjd-

For those of us with chip sets that haven't yet reached the 1000 piece level, this 600-ct acrylic birdcage carrier offers a unique alternative to the standard aluminum or wooden case.

Looks

The look of this clear acrylic carrier is similar to that of the standard 1000-ct carriers. The base/handle assembly is black acrylic. The full chip racks are stacked on the base assembly. The outer cage assembly is made of clear acrylic and the side seams are reinforced with a black metal bracket. This piece is then lowered over the handle onto the base to enclose the chips. The carrier stands 9 inches tall to the top of the handle, 6.5 inches to the top of the clear case, 9.5 inches wide, and 7.5 inches deep.

This clear acrylic carrier is a popular look and is very similar to the carriers used by many casinos worldwide. It is a great way to display the chip set you've scoured thousands of eBay auctions and M2M threads to finally complete.

Price

Average price for these carriers is around $30 each, and they historically have only been sold in pairs ($60/pair.) Six standard clear acrylic racks are included with each carrier.

Price breakdown is as follows:
$7 to $20 is the normal winning bid price. The "Buy it now" price typically ranges from $13 to $20.
$40 is the inflated Shipping & Handling cost to the continental US only. Shipping quotes to other areas are handled via email with the seller.
$7 shipping insurance is required.

$54 to $67 is the all-inclusive price range for a pair these carriers (2) and racks (12).

Obviously this seller is back-loading much of the final cost to hide it not only from the buyer, but also from eBay in order to minimize listing fees. This practice is not uncommon for acrylic carriers as well as numerous other items on eBay.

Availability

These carriers are available exclusively through an eBay store called Discount City and are not available at all times. As with most things, you may consider posting a WTB thread here on chiptalk, but due to the popularity and low availability of these carriers, response has usually been low.

Customer Service

Discount City is maintained by eBay member income5 (with 99.7% positive feedback at the time of this review.)

Pros: Communication and shipment were prompt upon completion of the auction. The carriers and racks were thoroughly bubble-wrapped and triple boxed (two boxes, inside two boxes, inside one large box) and after a few minutes of unpacking, the contents were found in flawless condition.

Cons: In my experience the liklihood of receiving a reply to a question asked before purchasing a carrier was no better than a coin flip. The seller has been unresponsive to auction requests for a single carrier, so you can ask, but don't expect a positive (or any) response.

Security

As with most carriers priced for home use, security is not a major strength. This carrier has a hole drilled in the handle to allow a padlock to be used to prevent someone from removing the outer cage assembly from the base. However, the entire unit is made of an acrylic material that is not designed to withstand major impact. If someone wanted to get the chips out of a locked carrier, it would not be difficult to break into. Note: the last two pictures below, showing locking arrangements, are courtesy of checkm8r.

Durability

This carrier has a very sturdy construction, similar to that of the 1000-ct carriers. I've spoken with other members here who've purchased several of these carriers over the past two years with absolutely no problems. The advantage here is with the lower storage capacity. A 600-ct set of 10g poker chips weighs approximately 13.2 lbs. 1000 of the same chips weigh 22 lbs. This lower weight puts less stress on the handle/base assembly and less long-term wear and tear on this carrier. It also saves you the hassle of carrying all 1000 chips to a small tournament or cash game where you may only use 300-500. 1000 of the new heavy-weight chips can weigh up to 33 lbs!

Reviewers Comments

I am extremely pleased with this carrier. I had been looking for an attractive way to display my new 600-ct chip set and this was the right answer for me. Income5 is by no means the most responsive seller on eBay, but he offers a unique, high-quality product at a reasonable price. I would recommend this carrier to others, not only due to the quality of the product, but also due to the excellent communication, packaging, and fast shipment following the auction.

Carrier Pictures

Special thanks to Dwight87, checkm8r, and Frankenswat for letting me post some of their images of these 600-ct carriers in use.

Dwight87: Checkm8r: Frankenswat:

[checkm8r]

600 Chip "Bird Cage" Acrylic Case
Purchased From:
Price Paid:

These 600-ct bird cages are my preferred storage solution. I have eight of these and have had no problems whatsoever with any of them.

Pros

• Smaller 600-ct birdcage results in less weight than typical 1000-ct cages
• 600-ct quantity is ideal for single-table cash games and tournaments
• They look better than the 1000-ct carriers IMO (better proportions)
• Smaller size fits on shelves better than 1000-ct carriers
• They show off your chips while not in play (applies to all carriers)
• They should last longer than the 1000-ct carriers (same construction for both, but these have to support less weight)
• Case can hold 600-chips plus two standard decks of cards (by placing the cards at one of the ends and not on top of the chips)

Cons

• Storage on a Cost/chip basis for these works out to be higher than the 1000-ct carriers
• There are fewer sellers for these 600-ct (resulting in higher costs and more uncertain availability)