Casino Chip Show, part 3

The third and final installment of my trip to Battle Creek for a Casino Chip Show.  I bought these four chips from the same woman, after flipping through her "Las Vegas" binder.  I didn't sit this time, just stoop and flipped, which seemed to confuse the old folks at the show.  Why would anyone pass up a chair?

1.  Kings Crown - Las Vegas.  Never heard of this place, the chip isn't all that special (has a crown in the middle with the casino name and city).  But it's older, the chip is from the 1980's and the casino opened in 1966 (according to the dealer).  And since it was only $5, it was a no-brainer for me.  I love chips from old places that are no longer open.  According to wikipedia, the Kings Crown was originally the Tally-Ho Casino and eventually became the Aladdin.

2.  Boardwalk Casino.  This is an older chip than the Boardwalk one I already have - it's real creepy, too.  Got a drawing of clown in the middle.  A really odd, creepy looking clown.  I'm not surprised they changed the design.

3.  Boardwalk Casino - Y2K Limited Edition.  This also has the clown picture, it looks like it's superimposed on the Moon.  I'm not sure.  If it is supposed to be the Moon, I'm not sure I get it.  What did the Moon have to do with Y2K?  It also doesn't say what the number of chips production was limited to either.  Hopefully not many.

4.  Luxor - Nefertiti.  I think this is one of the first chips the Luxor put out.  I bought it from this dealer for $5.  The dealer who sold me the NY/Canada chips also had this one for sale, but for $15.  He did tell me that it's one of only a few $5 chips he's ever seen that wasn't red.  I'm not sure what color it is, but I guess it's not red.  So when I saw it later for $10 less than he was selling it for, I thought why not?  It can be the first chip in my Non-Red $5 Chip Collection.  

Casino Chip Show, Part 2

The next batch of chips I got at the Battle Creek Casino Chip show were actually the first ones I bought there.  I had pulled up a chair and was flipping through a binder marked "NY/Canada" hoping to find a Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods chip.  I've been within 45 minutes of each casino on various work trips, but never made it to either, so I figured this might be my best chance at scoring chips from the two mega-casinos.  I didn't find those chips but I did find:

1.  Turning Stone Casino - Verona, NY.  This casino sits between Utica and Syracuse.  It's another casino I was in the vicinity of on a work trip, but never made it inside.  Pretty lucky that I just happened to find it flipping through some random binder.

2.  Casino Windsor.  This casino is 90 minutes away and I've never been there.  Not even to run in and grab a chip.  It's cool looking, too... with a big Maple Leaf on it.  I like it.  I might have to actually drive over and check this place out one of these days.

3.  Casino Niagara.  Never been here either, but it's a nice looking chip, with a drawing of the Falls on it.  It was in the binder next to the Windsor chip, so I grabbed it.

All told, I spent 15 minutes at this guy's booth and spent $15 on three different $5 chips.  Good deal for me.

Casino Chip Show, part 1

Went to a Casino Chip Show in Battle Creek on Saturday and picked up a handful of new chips.  It was my first time attending a Chip Show, and it was pretty much what I expected.  Just like a baseball card or coin show.  There were probably 25ish dealers, they all sat behind folding tables with their chips in front of them.  Most of the chips were in plastic sheets inside binders.  And they all had chairs in front of the tables, so you could sit and flip through hundreds and hundreds of chips.  Also, save for one or two people - everyone was 112 years old.  I mean, the collection of people would make a Wednesday Night Bingo Club look young and active.  But it was a pretty good time and I bought chips from 3 (well 4) dealers.  Up first, the Ohio guys.

The Ohio guys were easily the youngest of the dealers - unless I missed someone.  They were also the most talkative and outgoing.  I think they were the first people to talk to me while I initially cased the perimeter.  Nice guys and they gave me some info on another show near Cleveland in April.  The chips I got there:

1.  Hollywood Casino - Columbus.  Just opened.  Looks just like the Toldeo chip only it says Columbus on it.  Since I like the looks of the Toledo chip, I like this one too.

2.  MGM Grand Riddick Bowe/Jorge Luis Gonzalez chip.  I saw this chip in a display and immediately knew I would buy it - barring it being ridiculously expensive.  I was prepared to pay $15 for the chip... and I ended up paying $15, but for two chips.  Since the chip has Bowe on one side and Gonzalez on the other, he wanted to sell them as a set.  No big deal - I'll either trade or sell (hopefully) one of them.  And then display the Bowe side.  Even though the Gonzalez side has the slogan "Mortal Enemies" on it, which absolutely cracks me up.  The Bowe side says "1995 WBO Heavyweight Championship."  Bowe won by KO in the 6th.  Fan of Blog Matt Hoppe found online that the fight was refereed by Mills Lane and the judges were Duane Ford, Chuck Giampa and Jerry Roth.  Which anyone could have guessed - they are the only ref/judges to work in the 1990s.  I just hope this chip becomes more popular than Hop's Lewis/Rahman chip.