Well, hello. I haven’t been around for a long time and I stumbled upon this thread and after three pages I figured I’d make some comments. Forgive me for anything that was addressed after page 3.
First off I consider Ken one of my chipping friends. Long before I even came home from overseas this guy was looking out for me. He would buy chips that would be for sale when I was sleeping because he knew I was looking. Never asked for anything in return. Solid gold dude. We had many chip deals in the past.
I’ve been able to get out to New York the last couple of years. We had a beer and some lunch talked about all kinds of things. He is a super nice guy then and now.
Do I know anything about the actual price of the chips he had made? No. Did I ask him anything about how he pulled it off? No. I did say I hope there were more coming and left it at that. I mostly like all the chips. Some of my favorite base colors didn’t make any of the versions but they weren’t my chips. People can debate colors and spots forever. I have no issues with that part of the discussion that’s what chippers do.
When I read from certain members here, what amounts to a character assassination, it’s pretty disheartening. I’ll put that guy’s character up against anybody.
So let’s get into it. Does Ken owe anybody in the world a dollar for things he has produced and brought to the market? No. I do know that it takes considerable resources to be able to pull things like this off. Whatever profits he made are 100% his and any man here should understand that from a business perspective. If I were a plumber, do I owe all my friends who have plumbing discounts? No, and it’s a silly whiny argument to make. Personally, the members who have chosen to misrepresent, slander or otherwise discredit Ken can go fuck themselves. You sound like a bunch of bitchy Karens that panties got in a bunch. Yeah that’s how I feel 100%. Grow some nuts.
Best I can tell the guy made chips and offered them to many customers for all the same price. I didn’t receive any deals nor did I ask for any. I know one guy who got a set of hot stamp at a discount. Big fucking deal. Someone mentioned the chip room. I know firsthand that people drive to the warehouse and are able to sort through everything at prices underneath the chip room sales by a magnitude. I can guarantee that because I’m one person who was able to benefit from that one time. What people want to do with their personal assets is 100% theirs to decide. What about the big RPC project? Or anything else by lemon zest? I like how it’s all under the table with different prices depending on who you were. After that deal, I found out some of my best chipping friends were all in on it. Are they still my friends? Yup. Do I care that they were able to profit and I didn’t? Nope. Don’t really care.
I guess you can include me in the group of chippers that jump after the latest fad and mesmerized by the shiny new object. Personally, I don’t give a shit what you think. I liked a lot of them and I bought a lot of them. So there it is folks.
Hello
@slisk250!! missed ya!
Not sure who slandered the guy. If that's the case and its reported I'd take it down if reported. Like most have said here, I don't care what his margins are on the things, just like I don't care what Exxon's margins are on gasoline or McDonalds margins are on burgers. What I don't like is when someone is asked about their product and they take measures to not be transparent, it speaks to their character. If I were to buy a "luxury" product that claims rarity with no proof of said rarity is my choice and I have no standing to bitch when it shows up in WalMart a year later. In this case, the number was floated to reliable sources that the numbers were over 150,000 produced and racks are sitting in the classifieds now while we see WTT ads that are tigers for leaded racks, (Probably the goal from the beginning). Again, the buyers choice.
I wont even get into the nonsense of personal attacks by the guy on non buyers of the chips. We all bitch about the prices of things in our lives. When butter is 6X and gas is $5 are those who bitch about it whining bitches?
You mention the substantial resources it takes to put this "project" together, well that's a non issue as anyone here could raise the funds to do this project, ANYONE, as its a no risk investment, even if you make to many you can escape un scathed, in fact getting out from under with profit is guaranteed as liquidating to zero chips at 2x profits if you had to WOULD HAPPEN.
Everything I've read on the forums about these and all the other AGB's (no typo) , with few exceptions isn't bitching about the profits made as much as transparency and the denial of what you state folks like Jim do, the secret insiders deals. I would respect at all the one who straight up says I'm doing my friends a favor first the selling the rest. Instead its denied and if called out the name calling and temper tantrum begins, and lets face it, the bulk of what Jim sells is at under a buck and rarely over a few bucks a chip and rarity is counted on as we all know small Indiana or wherever casinos don't have many $500 and $1000 chips much less $10,000 chips and Jim can't just stamp out as many as he wants.
Jim brings chips to market at very affordable prices. Jim makes money, Jim could make way more money if he was much higher priced. It really bothers me that anyone compares what Jim does to what these AGB's do or would attack his character by comparison which is total BS. Jim stands by and watches the secondary market rake in the dough having bypassed his efforts to limit purchase amounts to see that everyone gets a chance to buy his chips. People with multiple accounts hoarding up the good chips, marking them up by huge multipliers and laughing about the scam. Its no wonder his last sale was by auction as like with tiger, he didn't want to provide the method for profiteers he figured he'd get all the money. It astounded me to see tiger claiming that the big prices were to discourage flipping, that just made me laugh.
Its not much different than Tommy crying that he makes no money on his site while charging stupid vendor fees, making people pay "supporting" member fees to sell their shit while boasting on the front page that he has 13.5k members (up 200 in the last month alone
) and that the site is only provided for the "community". Yet the defenses roll in from users on how he's a hero for providing the site. I said from the beginning that "Chipper" would be free to use, free to sell your stuff etc. as the site is $2700 a year to host turn key, and features and plug ins are usually less than 30 or 40 bucks. I'm looking for no praise, but operating with a bit of honesty and integrity, providing a resource for the hobby is more appealing to me than dealing with a company that is less than that.
I applaud your defense of your friend. It's commendable. Thanks for posting! Weather on the sites to hobby or on to make money have the integrity to say it out loud. If it doesn't sound good out loud it sounds way worse in darkness.
I have to be honest and say that I probably agree with many if not most of the points you make.
, but they feel Caribbean to me and fit the vision. I'm short on time or else I'd write more but I just submitted my new CPCs a few weeks ago and they are quite the opposite. Old school Deadwood-style with a red $5, since the latest string of customs since the above (made Sept 2022) w/ CPC all seem to be DG-Peach, DG-Arc Yellow, or DG-Tiger. People who know me know my heart lies with old-school and 414s, 3d14s, etc., and is why my top keeper Paulson sets are the likes of Adolfo's, Lake Elsinore, Claim Stake, etc. Classy but fire lead. I build/make what I love first and foremost, but still, I ultimately just love all chips besides rip-offs. Plastics, CPCs, custom Tina's, hot-stamps, inlays, China Clays, unleaded Paulsons (always said I wanted just one nagb/unleaded set), leaded Paulsons, minty, buttery, used, and so on. Stuff I don't like I make a mental note and go about my day. 
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