Even if it is only an associate membership which is only $5 you can make a difference with your vote!!! And you can still get your vote in this year!
Become a CCA member Today.
- Thread starter The Chip Spa
- Start date
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Admodeus
Bronze Bettor
I would also like to know
I was thinking about your question going to the store. I highlighted the thing that seems to be a common thread in the hobby. Nothing aginst you or anyone personally but here is a HUGE PROBLEM.
Honest question: what is the CCA and why is it relevant to me as a chip collector.
Eh!Hole
FORUM SUPPORTER
To be clear, this was asked not to be provocative, rather out of genuine curiosity. Reading all the posts here and on PCF today and yesterday, I have some vague idea of what the CCA is, but I'm still left wondering how it all fits together in the grander scheme of the chip collecting world, especially as an international chipper.
JeepologyOffroad
Gold Gambler
You aren’t alone. I asked a similar question in another chat but in a less kind fashion.
The CCA isn't a sets or singles thing, Its a casino collectables thing and chips are a major part. Aren't we sets collectors chip collectors?? Yes. The club needs fresh members!! With fresh Ideas! I urge you to join!
Like everywhere there's always the occasional stinky pickle.....
Id like to reopen this discussion.
I think this hobby has 3 camps…
• Single Collectors
(Some don’t care for sets)
• Set Collectors
(Some don’t care for singles)
• Social Poker Players & Hosts
(Some are only social/poker, and don’t care about chips)
(Some folks are a multi blend)
That said, what are some of the things the CCA could offer in the future for 1 or all 3 camps?
I think this hobby has 3 camps…
• Single Collectors
(Some don’t care for sets)
• Set Collectors
(Some don’t care for singles)
• Social Poker Players & Hosts
(Some are only social/poker, and don’t care about chips)
(Some folks are a multi blend)
That said, what are some of the things the CCA could offer in the future for 1 or all 3 camps?
I yield to long time CCA members to extol the virtues and benefits of the club.
Hi, everyone. I'm not on the CCA board but I am fairly involved in several aspects of it (tech stuff like server/site admin, event setup, committee work) so I'll throw my two cents in. Much of what I'll cover below can be found on the club website https://ccgtcc.com.
Q: What does ANY organization offer its members?
A: In short, an umbrella for the members to stand under. The United Way helps it's member non-profits find funding and be successful at what they do. Trade groups and unions (construction, electrical, etc) negotiate group rates, help each other out, create forums for users and suppliers to come together. Most have meetings or shows where members can physically (and these days, virtually) meet and greet each other, develop partnerships and friendships, work towards providing solutions to shared problems, and celebrating individual and shared success stories.
Q: What is the CCA?
A: It's (to my knowledge) the first organization to bring collectors of all things casino-related under one umbrella. Coin collectors have the ANA. Dentists have the ADA. My wife says I have ADD, but I digress. You get the picture.
Q: What ISN'T the CCA?
A: The CCA isn't (and shouldn't be) for chip collectors only, or singles collectors only, or swizzle stick collectors only, or slot machine collectors only. It is and should be for everyone and everything that's in the CCA name, "Casino Collectibles".
Q: What does it cost to be a member of the CCA?
A: $40/yr for regular members, $5 for associate members (family). Lifetime memberships are available as well (see links below for details).
Q: Why should I join the CCA?
A1: We all have a lot of places we can congregate. Facebook, Instagram, here, the Chip Board, etc. But only the CCA provides an annual convention for all casino collectibles. Only the CCA prints and sends out a beautiful ~80 page magazine 4x a year. Only the CCA is actively preserving gaming history. Only the CCA has The Chip Guide. Each of these things takes a lot of money to put together and maintain. There are costs to host the multiple websites, expenses to rent convention facilities, storage expenses, costs to buy display cases and tables, and tablecloths to keep costs down (renting those things for the annual convention is crazy expensive). The more members there are, the less of a burden it is per-person and the less often fees need to go up. Heck, with enough members, they could probably go down or be used to expand what's being done for the members. Membership is just over $3/mo. Barely a dent compared to what we all pay for internet or Netflix or Starbucks. Fees were finally, after a great many years of being $35/yr, bumped up a whopping $5 a year or so ago. That's the cost of one 1st class package mailer, which most of us spend many times a year. Like many others, I started collecting chips from casinos I visited. In 2019, I probably had 200 chips, mostly $5s. That's when I discovered chips from casinos that weren't around any more. They were works of art and I knew I wanted to expand my collection. That led to looking for information sources and that's how I found the Chip Guide with all of its pictures, descriptions, and data (I LOOOOOVE data). I then found the Chip Board where people (when not bashing each other about their favorite political candidate) talked about their chips and their other collectibles. I found it all very interesting and valuable and of course I've now met MANY of the people I've chatted with in person and have developed great relationships. I attended The Chip Dig, put on by Howdy Herz here in Reno at the Nevada Historical Society located on the UNR campus. It was there that I purchased my very first obsolete chip from Bill Judge who also has the honor of having sold (traded, actually) me my most recent chip. How's that for a nice bookend story, eh? I remember meeting Steve Blust, another Reno chipper who invited me to his home and sold me several beautiful Nevada chips and also GAVE me his entire collection of Casino Collectible News magazines and some display cases. Steve and his wife moved to SoCal to be with his family down there about a year ago, so I only get to see him online these days. This brings me to June 2019 when, on a lark, I told my wife I wanted to spend hundreds of dollars to fly to Las Vegas, hundreds more on hotels and Ubers and eating out because there was a convention hall full of other crazy people like me and I wanted to see what it was all about. I didn't know anyone and they didn't know me. I don't need to tell you what it's like to walk through the show floor and see all of those gorgeous (and expensive!) items. I bought stuff that I didn't (then) collect. And I met a few people but didn't expect anyone to remember me any more than a store clerk would remember a first time shopper going through the register. I've since been to every convention and seen a wider selection of collectibles show up each year. Slot glass, trade stimulators, silver strikes, and the list goes on. I also attended the seminars/talks/panels and was blown away at these walking bipedal history books. These ladies and gents worked in ACTUAL casinos. Some worked for or with or in spite of the Mob. I found it all impressive and amazing. Why am I blathering on with these personal stories and dropping names? Because without the CCA's existence, none of this would have happened for me. I'd be buying chips from randos on eBay and hoping I wasn't getting scammed.
Q: Can't I just get all of the benefits of the club without being a member? I mean, the Chip Guide is open to everyone and I can go to the convention for $10 (or $5 or even free if I go on the last day)?
A: You won't get the magazine. You won't get the protection offered by the code of ethics. You won't have full access to the Chip Guide (did you know about the member-only parts like the want/trade/collection lists?). Maybe you don't care about the magazine, or wouldn't want a physical one (it's not available in an online version). Some will argue the days of the printed magazine are numbered but it's still going strong. And maybe you haven't had a trade or sale go wrong so you don't see value in the code of ethics. And you're ok with the free access you get to the chip guide. So, yes, today you can enjoy 90% of what the CCA provides without contributing a penny.
Q: Barry, what was the epiphany that caused you to join the club?
A: Like many, I didn't feel I needed to send (then $35/yr) money to this faceless organization. I got what I wanted from them without having to pay a dime. On the Chip Board, Doug Smith offered to pay $5 towards the dues for new members. And then as I was building a spreadsheet to keep track of my new treasures, it dawned on me that most of the information I was tracking was already tracked in the Chip Guide. All I really needed to do was note the CG catalog number and I could get the rest of the information online and it would be updated for me as new information came to light. It was then that I realized how much work went into creating that resource and I thought about the countless hours the admins put in FOR NO COMPENSATION and I thought to myself "WHY THE F*** AM I BEING SUCH A TIGHTWAD?". It's not like it was $1,000 a year or required a large one-time expense. It was a stupid $3/mo. I dug up Doug's offer and emailed him to let him know I'd be joining. He told me to let him know when I paid my $30 and he'd verify it with the membership director and send the club the other $5 as promised. And he did. For how many others he did this, I don't know but I'm sure it was a lot.
So, if you've EVER used the Chip Guide for a reference, or enjoyed the emailed newsletter (separate from the magazine and free to all), or attended the annual convention or had a CCA member do you a solid, please take my advice and JUST. JOIN. THE. CLUB. In the grand scheme of things, you'll never miss that $40/yr but the club will appreciate your support. When you've been in long enough (5 years), you can buy the lifetime membership and never have to pay dues again. Did you know there are CCA members who haven't actively collected for years who are still annual paying members? That's how you appreciate an organization that helps you. To join, go to https://ccgtcc.com/membership. They ask how you were referred to join the club, and if you feel this post was the thing that got you to join, feel free to put my name down, even if we haven't yet met.
Now, I would be remiss if I didn't admit to you all that I am running for President of the organization next year (term will be 2025-2027) and have given a lot of thought to not only what the CCA means to its members today, but also what it can be in the future. In August or September, I will be publishing a fairly lengthy and detailed list of things I plan to propose the CCA board and volunteers tackle over my 2 year term. I'm not the only candidate, and more may throw their hats in the ring between now and next Spring when the election takes place. I'd love to have your vote, but if you like one of the other candidates or are simply better friends with them than me, then by all means, support them at election time. I'm happy to take your suggestions and feedback and I will not be belittling any other candidates, nor will I put up with anyone supporting me who is bashing anyone else who is running. If you'd like more info about me and my campaign, visit https://barrysherwood.com. Right now, it just has my contact info and an overview of my intentions, but as I mentioned earlier, I'll have a very full and detailed outline of what I'd like to accomplish in my tenure. Thanks for reading this far, and I hope I've swayed some of you toward considering joining the one organization that has ALL casino collectors' interests at heart.
Q: What does ANY organization offer its members?
A: In short, an umbrella for the members to stand under. The United Way helps it's member non-profits find funding and be successful at what they do. Trade groups and unions (construction, electrical, etc) negotiate group rates, help each other out, create forums for users and suppliers to come together. Most have meetings or shows where members can physically (and these days, virtually) meet and greet each other, develop partnerships and friendships, work towards providing solutions to shared problems, and celebrating individual and shared success stories.
Q: What is the CCA?
A: It's (to my knowledge) the first organization to bring collectors of all things casino-related under one umbrella. Coin collectors have the ANA. Dentists have the ADA. My wife says I have ADD, but I digress. You get the picture.
Q: What ISN'T the CCA?
A: The CCA isn't (and shouldn't be) for chip collectors only, or singles collectors only, or swizzle stick collectors only, or slot machine collectors only. It is and should be for everyone and everything that's in the CCA name, "Casino Collectibles".
Q: What does it cost to be a member of the CCA?
A: $40/yr for regular members, $5 for associate members (family). Lifetime memberships are available as well (see links below for details).
Q: Why should I join the CCA?
A1: We all have a lot of places we can congregate. Facebook, Instagram, here, the Chip Board, etc. But only the CCA provides an annual convention for all casino collectibles. Only the CCA prints and sends out a beautiful ~80 page magazine 4x a year. Only the CCA is actively preserving gaming history. Only the CCA has The Chip Guide. Each of these things takes a lot of money to put together and maintain. There are costs to host the multiple websites, expenses to rent convention facilities, storage expenses, costs to buy display cases and tables, and tablecloths to keep costs down (renting those things for the annual convention is crazy expensive). The more members there are, the less of a burden it is per-person and the less often fees need to go up. Heck, with enough members, they could probably go down or be used to expand what's being done for the members. Membership is just over $3/mo. Barely a dent compared to what we all pay for internet or Netflix or Starbucks. Fees were finally, after a great many years of being $35/yr, bumped up a whopping $5 a year or so ago. That's the cost of one 1st class package mailer, which most of us spend many times a year. Like many others, I started collecting chips from casinos I visited. In 2019, I probably had 200 chips, mostly $5s. That's when I discovered chips from casinos that weren't around any more. They were works of art and I knew I wanted to expand my collection. That led to looking for information sources and that's how I found the Chip Guide with all of its pictures, descriptions, and data (I LOOOOOVE data). I then found the Chip Board where people (when not bashing each other about their favorite political candidate) talked about their chips and their other collectibles. I found it all very interesting and valuable and of course I've now met MANY of the people I've chatted with in person and have developed great relationships. I attended The Chip Dig, put on by Howdy Herz here in Reno at the Nevada Historical Society located on the UNR campus. It was there that I purchased my very first obsolete chip from Bill Judge who also has the honor of having sold (traded, actually) me my most recent chip. How's that for a nice bookend story, eh? I remember meeting Steve Blust, another Reno chipper who invited me to his home and sold me several beautiful Nevada chips and also GAVE me his entire collection of Casino Collectible News magazines and some display cases. Steve and his wife moved to SoCal to be with his family down there about a year ago, so I only get to see him online these days. This brings me to June 2019 when, on a lark, I told my wife I wanted to spend hundreds of dollars to fly to Las Vegas, hundreds more on hotels and Ubers and eating out because there was a convention hall full of other crazy people like me and I wanted to see what it was all about. I didn't know anyone and they didn't know me. I don't need to tell you what it's like to walk through the show floor and see all of those gorgeous (and expensive!) items. I bought stuff that I didn't (then) collect. And I met a few people but didn't expect anyone to remember me any more than a store clerk would remember a first time shopper going through the register. I've since been to every convention and seen a wider selection of collectibles show up each year. Slot glass, trade stimulators, silver strikes, and the list goes on. I also attended the seminars/talks/panels and was blown away at these walking bipedal history books. These ladies and gents worked in ACTUAL casinos. Some worked for or with or in spite of the Mob. I found it all impressive and amazing. Why am I blathering on with these personal stories and dropping names? Because without the CCA's existence, none of this would have happened for me. I'd be buying chips from randos on eBay and hoping I wasn't getting scammed.
Q: Can't I just get all of the benefits of the club without being a member? I mean, the Chip Guide is open to everyone and I can go to the convention for $10 (or $5 or even free if I go on the last day)?
A: You won't get the magazine. You won't get the protection offered by the code of ethics. You won't have full access to the Chip Guide (did you know about the member-only parts like the want/trade/collection lists?). Maybe you don't care about the magazine, or wouldn't want a physical one (it's not available in an online version). Some will argue the days of the printed magazine are numbered but it's still going strong. And maybe you haven't had a trade or sale go wrong so you don't see value in the code of ethics. And you're ok with the free access you get to the chip guide. So, yes, today you can enjoy 90% of what the CCA provides without contributing a penny.
Q: Barry, what was the epiphany that caused you to join the club?
A: Like many, I didn't feel I needed to send (then $35/yr) money to this faceless organization. I got what I wanted from them without having to pay a dime. On the Chip Board, Doug Smith offered to pay $5 towards the dues for new members. And then as I was building a spreadsheet to keep track of my new treasures, it dawned on me that most of the information I was tracking was already tracked in the Chip Guide. All I really needed to do was note the CG catalog number and I could get the rest of the information online and it would be updated for me as new information came to light. It was then that I realized how much work went into creating that resource and I thought about the countless hours the admins put in FOR NO COMPENSATION and I thought to myself "WHY THE F*** AM I BEING SUCH A TIGHTWAD?". It's not like it was $1,000 a year or required a large one-time expense. It was a stupid $3/mo. I dug up Doug's offer and emailed him to let him know I'd be joining. He told me to let him know when I paid my $30 and he'd verify it with the membership director and send the club the other $5 as promised. And he did. For how many others he did this, I don't know but I'm sure it was a lot.
So, if you've EVER used the Chip Guide for a reference, or enjoyed the emailed newsletter (separate from the magazine and free to all), or attended the annual convention or had a CCA member do you a solid, please take my advice and JUST. JOIN. THE. CLUB. In the grand scheme of things, you'll never miss that $40/yr but the club will appreciate your support. When you've been in long enough (5 years), you can buy the lifetime membership and never have to pay dues again. Did you know there are CCA members who haven't actively collected for years who are still annual paying members? That's how you appreciate an organization that helps you. To join, go to https://ccgtcc.com/membership. They ask how you were referred to join the club, and if you feel this post was the thing that got you to join, feel free to put my name down, even if we haven't yet met.
Now, I would be remiss if I didn't admit to you all that I am running for President of the organization next year (term will be 2025-2027) and have given a lot of thought to not only what the CCA means to its members today, but also what it can be in the future. In August or September, I will be publishing a fairly lengthy and detailed list of things I plan to propose the CCA board and volunteers tackle over my 2 year term. I'm not the only candidate, and more may throw their hats in the ring between now and next Spring when the election takes place. I'd love to have your vote, but if you like one of the other candidates or are simply better friends with them than me, then by all means, support them at election time. I'm happy to take your suggestions and feedback and I will not be belittling any other candidates, nor will I put up with anyone supporting me who is bashing anyone else who is running. If you'd like more info about me and my campaign, visit https://barrysherwood.com. Right now, it just has my contact info and an overview of my intentions, but as I mentioned earlier, I'll have a very full and detailed outline of what I'd like to accomplish in my tenure. Thanks for reading this far, and I hope I've swayed some of you toward considering joining the one organization that has ALL casino collectors' interests at heart.
That’s awesome! Jay Sands (membership director) will process your application and issue you a membership number. I have to admit I don’t know how long that takes. He’s a volunteer like everyone else and has a personal life to weave CCA duties into. Along with your number, you’ll be sent a badge/card and other “welcome” information. With your membership, you can create a free account on the chip guide (https://chipguide.com) where you can (if you want) use the database to inventory your chips, create want and trade lists that other members who’ve done the same can compare against yours (what do I want that you have to trade?). You can also sign up on the CCA Forums (https://forums.ccgtcc.com). I’ll see your new signup and DM you for your full name and account number. Once I have that, I’ll upgrade your status so you can see everything (some sections are reserved for CCA eyes only - very juicy stuff happens there that others don’t get to see, LOL). Anyway, those are the next steps. Again, welcome to the club and I hope to see you in person one of these days. I’ll be at the SNCCC Fall Show, at Casinorama in Feb and of course at next year’s convention in June.
So I joined the CCA…. But still haven’t received a welcome email or anything in the mailbox.
Did I throw $ in a trash?