STuDioSuRFiNG
Gold Gambler
Scrub donkeys version 2.0
Scrub donkeys version 2.0
The nice side of me says to shut the hell up, but the mean side of me is screaming something about the lunacy of spending $865 on samples when you don’t own a poker table.
You have to add the DB plus the personal hot stamp cash set that was never included as part of any sample or regular sale and you will get the total number of chips commissioned. @JeepologyOffroad how many unique chips are in that personal HS set? I have seen at least 5 in posted pictures (frac through $100).
The nice side of me says to shut the hell up, but the mean side of me is screaming something about the lunacy of spending $865 on samples when you don’t own a poker table.
These chips are awesome!
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Thankful for the opportunity to own them!
Who cares if Ken makes 100 Million in profits? As others have said... he took this whole thing on his own shoulders and his wallet!
This hobby is and has been starving for new chips to feed the beast! Many leaded singles that used to be a few $$ are now $20 - $60... ask me how I know.
I love casinos with history and old chips like many others... but bright and inviting colors on quality chips appeals to the masses... you don't have to buy them if it's not your thing. Hell lots of people sold lead just to purchase Tigers... hence bringing more chips back to the market for those that don't like the new stuff. Win/Win??
I understand the ?s of trying to control the secondary market... I can't even argue on that one... if you buy them, they are yours and in a free country I think you should be able to sell them for whatever you want! Profits were made, not sure why it's frowned upon for others to make profits as well... I mean it's been happening for a LONG time... like it or not, don't pay if you don't like the price! I mean I'm the guy that spent $7k on 2 racks of IG sec $1k claws because I wanted them! In the sale they were what $10 each? What kind of idiot would pay $35 a chip a month later?? Well... me... why... from my understanding only 730 of those chips exist, they are quite rare and the most beautiful IHC $1k chip I have ever seen! A few decided that's what they would let their racks go for... and I paid it!
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(About $24k invested now... who would pay that? Nobody and don't worry... I'm not selling)
The days of buying and selling for the same price are gone... OK there are many members that behind the scenes buy and sell to friends at cost because they know they are not getting flipped... but trully without FROR they are your chips, do what you want!
Invest how you want to invest! Those that previously bought thousands of NAGB chips and saw the prices plummet when the next one hits... well... only pay what you are happy to pay for chips. If you are in this hobby just to turn profits then maybe you should stick to paying for the fastest internet possible so you can keep grabbing chip room sales the second they go live and flipping them before they even hit your mail box to the folks with slower internet!
Ken tried to give everyone an equal opportunity that was interested... wasn't selling all of his chips behind the scenes to the top bidders like other NAGB folks (no problem with that either, again pay what you feel is fair). We can all sit back and point fingers... Apparently, that's what this hobby is really, really good at!
I saw this as possibly my last opportunity to check off a huge box on my collection list. When I joined, I quickly fell in love with the hot stamped Auora Stars... unfortunately, they had already been flipped several times, many murdered and turned into something else... I knew building anything of decent size would be next to impossible! I am extremely happy that @JeepologyOffroad convinced Ken to go with Hot Stamps one more time... again, possibly the last, and decided it was time to check that box off the list of my forever sets. I can't afford to build it all at one time, but racks, barrels... eventually, I will complete this dream set and honestly thankful for the opportunity to do so.
If your booty hurts, I hear try Preparation H... it works wonders for some butt hurt issues! Lol
Blackbeard
Other than my small initial set that yes I was given a "deal" on... those are exactly the prices I have been paying for the 1,000 chips I have added on since. I haven't found anybody selling for less than his prices... maybe a few dollars per barrel for some t25s I got (like $100 a barrel as opposed to $110) but yes to be fair because of the initial set my cost per chip is slightly less.I'll dare beat the horse I've been beating one more time. I for one don't care about his "profits". I care about his transparency. Rare chips? None are rare, especially if there was a second buy. And then the BS excuse "I priced them this way so there wouldn't be any flipping" "If you flip you cant buy from me again" All BULLSHIT. If they're rare and short supplied just say how many there are.... It is what it is and I don't care who buys or bought them.
But to call him some kind of hero that brought chips to the "Community" is pure BS. There's 1000's of beautiful chips for sale in the markets, the beast isn't that hungry. I see chips we were all raving about and couldn't get hands on sitting for sale......
I love ya @Blackbeard, but I'd be happy too if I was in a set of them for $2 or $3 a chip too! Honest question: Would you be as happy or own as many if you had to pay:
Tiger Ticket: Prices for ‘add-on’ chips
T1: $650/rack
T5: $750/rack
T25: $550/rack
T100: $600/rack
T500: $600/rack
T1000: $650/rack
T5000: $850/rack
T25,000: $700/rack
T100,000: $900/rack
T-NCV (Arc Yellow): $850/rack
I think here is where the problem kind of starts when you decide to comment in a thread and not be completely transparent about a topic that one of the biggest complaints is just that, lack of transparency.Other than my small initial set that yes I was given a "deal" on..
Again, I’d venture to say the proper use of words here is not “slightly” but instead SUBSTANTIALLY LESS.but yes to be fair because of the initial set my cost per chip is slightly less.
I think we tend to expect some degree of fairness, but thats kind of ridiculous. And I think the more invested we are in the community or the hobby, the more likely we are to feel that way. But we all know deep down that this hobby is the Wild West.Like every NAGB from Tigers to Boat chips, people get fed up with the dishonesty surrounding these things.
And good on TCR and his friends. And if his friends want to praise him for it, at least be honest about it and say you got hooked up in your praise.Even TCR, who seems to set up nice structures, is selling to his friends or best offers first. Why shouldn’t he? It’s his shit to sell.
There are no reliable pricing guides or condition standards. The best you can do is educate yourself and make friends and have cash ready when opportunity arises - try to make smart buys and hope you’re treated well. But there are no rules here. Even TCR, who seems to set up nice structures, is selling to his friends or best offers first. Why shouldn’t he? It’s his shit to sell.
TCR Jim is the closest thing to a chip "hero" I've seen in the sets community, he does very well I'm sure. When he's selling chips for .60 cents, that's a service to the masses. While obscure Indiana and the like, REAL casino chips and numbers known. chips with known to be 4 or 5 racks at $20 a chip, ok, known rarity. etc. Not sure if he does "behind the scenes" deals but if he does so what, there's so many that everyone gets something.I think we tend to expect some degree of fairness, but thats kind of ridiculous. And I think the more invested we are in the community or the hobby, the more likely we are to feel that way. But we all know deep down that this hobby is the Wild West.
There are no reliable pricing guides or condition standards. The best you can do is educate yourself and make friends and have cash ready when opportunity arises - try to make smart buys and hope you’re treated well. But there are no rules here. Even TCR, who seems to set up nice structures, is selling to his friends or best offers first. Why shouldn’t he? It’s his shit to sell.
I don’t blame anybody for complaining about the transparency thing - if a seller was looking to be the most fair, he’d be transparent. As a buyer, I’d like to see that! But if he’s looking to maximize profits, he probably wouldn’t be very transparent. And I bet if I invested a house worth of cash, I’d probably have an eye on profits.
For not being butthurt, folks sure are acting....butthurt.
I mean how dead can the horse possibly be? Vendors sell things to make money. They make what they can.
If I'm buying a rack I plan to murder and relabel, that adds $150 and months of waiting right off the top. When the work can cost as much as the chips, it can almost seem crazy for some. Until you realize the time and effort it takes. I'm almost surprised by how low the cost is for Kifer milling and Gear labels while at the same time being surprised by how much.
If you're in a TCR sale, transparency isn't the focus because it's a vendor's sale. Post on number count of chips, and your post is likely to be modded. There will be no mention of the fact that cherry picked sets have been pulled out for all of Jim's friends, no mention of how many gold tickets were used, etc. Some sales it's just pure roulette - pay the money and see what you get. IGs were a great example. Some people received sets that were almost entirely fantastic condition, while others received sets that were literally almost 100% flea-bitten disasters. But where else are you going to go?
As a vendor Ken said I have chips, here they are for this much. And no he doesn't share the cost he paid or how many chips he has because that helps him in literally no way possible. Maybe he should also tell us who he ordered from and how? Maybe TCR should give us a Standard Operating Procedure on how he obtains all his chips? Maybe people who have "finds" in the wild shouldn't be allowed to resell?
To somehow say that one is better than the other is a joke and again, mental gymnastics. If you're going to post the same meme 100 times over and tell us again 100 times over how great you are compared to Ken and what you would have done better than Ken and what a bad person Ken is and how much Ken has hurt our hobby and how much your not butthurt by Ken and yadda yadda yadda - make sure you do it with everyone.
And yes Ken has continued to roll out chips. Even I have made a joke at his expense about it. I just haven't focused on it to the point where anti Ken is my entire personality. It's possible to think for yourself and apply critical thought. Y'all can do it!
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Believe it or not, I tend to agree with Barrie a little. Jim is revered by most, and I don’t really understand why. He seems to price things that he can get out the door, not sit on for years. I understand it.
Does he bring chips to the hobby? Yes. Are some sold at what seem to be fair prices? Yes. Is he doing it for the “hood of the community?” Laughable. He’s an astute businessman that’s making a killing.
Why only blame Ken? Why not those that buy TCR chips for $1k a rack and then flip them 2 weeks later for $3,500 a rack? I mean fair to say he has definitely played his part in setting the recent market! I mean leaded original casino used... based on the current market of 8 gram chips... why not $1,500 a rack... a few would sell sure! But he would also be stuck with a crap ton of chips not moving. Just a dart board guess but I would guess $4 to $6 range on the low denoms ans working their way up from that!If the upcoming TCR Hot stamp sale is at 800 or 1000 a rack or more........ Thank.....
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