What does it really take to obtain the unobtanium? Can it still be done?
- Thread starter DuckPlug
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Thanks and it’s officially the set that put me into (mostly
) retirement. Speaking of that auction and its insanity, I’ll just go ahead and put the inside skinny on it out there.I was working when that auction first went active and was notified by another member Pinkdan of it. In speaking to Dan he asked me straight up what I thought that barrel would go for and my response was no less than 2k based on who I knew would most likely bid.
Once Mel said she was out I in turn reached out to Batman and simply asked that if it was going to come down to me and him, would he step aside? I explained that that barrel would put me in striking distance of finishing my rack.
To my surprise, he said that he would and to this day, I do owe him a bit of graditude for that. I had no idea of the debacle that would follow in the thread when he said the things that he did.
I was willing to go up to $2400 to get that barrel. Winning that barrel got me to 88 of those blurple $25s and then eventually not to long there after, I was reached out to by Mel and offered to buy the last 12 which I gladly did.
7 years to complete one rack in that set. It was completely worth it and the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in this hobby.
As for the Batman, it’s pretty well known that I’ve been very critical of him and how he’s operated since joining. Not much love loss there to say the least but it may have been another 2 or 3 years finishing that set had he not stepped aside there. And for that, I do thank him despite a lot of our other disagreements.
I’ve met Krish a couple times in person at meet ups and we got along just fine. It’s not quite a movie and popcorn date under a blanket
but the knives weren’t out either.
AfterTheFact
Casino Crown Jewel
PM sent
DirtyStack
Gold Gambler
Unobtainium is a self fulfilling prophecy. People with them feel they will not be able to get the chips back again if they ever sell. The perceived value of any unobtainium has undoubtedly been directly or indirectly influenced by whales like Krish. But if there is no selling of unobtainium outside of estate sales the market simply moves elsewhere. New chippers are all about low cost Tinas. RHC sets aren’t moving. Vegas chips are getting cheaper and uglier. Even leaded THCs don’t command the price they did a year ago. Recent NAGBs have met a lot of the demand for THC, especially colorful ones. The number of newer chippers interested in a set of TRKs or other unobtainium even if made available I’m sure is dropping and I’m not sure what if anything can reverse that trend.
DirtyStack
Gold Gambler
When leaded THC racks move it’s usually to make an existing set larger. New chippers aren’t able to piece together much and their budgets are usually capped at Ken’s pricing which I know no one with unobtainium is going to sell their unobtainium for. Even I’ve basically turned into a singles collector now.
I more or less felt like a singles collector for the entire 7 years I spent chasing the singles it took to eventually create my set. On 3 different occasions along that journey I was fortunate enough to acquire some of the pieces in quantity which greatly accelerated the already long journey.
I’m thinking that maybe the real question is, are there any “chippers” out there who have what it takes to piece together a rare and highly desirable set that’s rarely found turnkey?
I’d be willing to say most if not all of us, including Krish, have been mostly singles collectors in our pursuit to reach the unobtanium set. Some like Krish have the means to reach their goals sooner but for most, it’s not a journey of the faint of heart.
Maybe there are a lot of so called chippers out there and then maybe, just maybe there’s actually a few “CHIPPERS” like us DirtyStack.
NAGB collectors and there sets don’t make those collectors “Supers.” Those collectors have only been manipulated into thinking they’re some kind of so called “Super” by the creators of those NAGBs trying to profit off their venture. That’s the truth no matter what they say. I get the whole expression, vision and artistic points of the project but let’s be honest for once, at the end of the day it’s all about profit. And when they say it’s not, it’s just laughable to me.
Overpriced $2-$3 at cost chips in manufactured quantities well over 100000 are nothing “Super” and will always be obtainable.
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They’re all obtainable at the poker chip “mall” forum classifieds right now!I more or less felt like a singles collector for the entire 7 years I spent chasing the singles it took to eventually create my set. On 3 different occasions along that journey I was fortunate enough to acquire some of the pieces in quantity which greatly accelerated the already long journey.
I’m thinking that maybe the real question is, are there any “chippers” out there who have what it takes to piece together a rare and highly desirable set that’s rarely found turnkey?
I’d be willing to say most if not all of us, including Krish, have been mostly singles collectors in our pursuit to reach the unobtanium set. Some like Krish have the means to reach their goals sooner but for most, it’s not a journey of the faint of heart.
Maybe there are a lot of so called chippers out there and then maybe, just maybe there’s actually a few “CHIPPERS” like us DirtyStack.
NAGB collectors and there sets don’t make those collectors “Supers.” Those collectors have only been manipulated into thinking they’re some kind of so called “Super” by the creators of those NAGBs trying to profit off their venture. That’s the truth no matter what they say. I get the whole expression, vision and artistic points of the project but let’s be honest for once, at the end of the day it’s all about profit. And when they say it’s not, it’s just laughable to me.
Overpriced $2-$3 at cost chips in manufactured quantities well over 100000 are nothing “Super” and will always be obtainable.
Jimmy Pancakes
Casino Crown Jewel
I suspect it’s more about price than interest in those chips. Anyone that acquired desirable leaded THC or TRK’s in the last ~3yrs paid a heavy premium during that irrational exuberance days. No one wants to take a loss, but the days of $2k racks are pretty well over. And so there we are.
DirtyStack
Gold Gambler
Most new members don’t even have a 1k budget for a set let alone for a rack. No one is interested in selling for less than stupid pricing and no one is stupid enough to buy at stupid pricing. So simultaneously nothing of substance moves and nothing of substance is offered. Except singles. Even sample sets aren’t common anymore. They’ve all been boarded up to get a barrel of 1 hard to find chip.
AfterTheFact
Casino Crown Jewel
I recently bought a rack at “stupid pricing”. They would have cost me less at singles pricing, but when you add an eBay tax, shipping, and the fact they don’t come up but every so often in the shape I needed, I was more than willing to pay.
They were also real casino chips. I don’t pay stupid pricing for NAGB chips with no meaning or history.
Unobtanium , well, I guess money is what will get you what you desire. I've only been around since 2006, I'm sure a lot of you longer. You've seen the influx of people into the hobby, and the money thrown into the hobby. I hate competition, don't have the bank, so no, I could not get a set today. I'm not even sure if I have anything considered unobtanium , which I would call rare.
This it seems is what newer chippers don’t seem to get. They come fresh into a hobby and get bombarded with new NAGB THC chips that are truly a dime a dozen availability wise.
They really have no clue as to what it is they’re looking for but they’ve been convinced by the heard that they’ve got to have these latest and greatest things. The way you know it’s obvious is just by looking at what’s for sale and not moving.
I would venture to say the days of 2k racks of NAGB chips are over for sure. At least until the next heard of sheep arrives all at once into a hobby in which they really have no clue or understanding about.
The people that spend big bucks on chips that are from a casino that once existed and has a true documented history don’t buy to turn around and flip. These buyers like myself and AfterTheFact buy what we do because it has a meaningful history and it’s worth keeping.
You don’t see the sets we own come up for sale because it’s truly not about the money to collectors like us, it’s much deeper than that.
Sets painstakingly put together over long periods of time are priceless labors of love and it’s why when they do sell, you usually never see or hear about it.
Literally how the hobby was when I joined. The introduction of force fed one after another NAGBs is a newer concept to a hobby which filled quickly with folks that momentarily had more money than brains. A few were bound to eventually capitalize on it and they did. It was by design no matter what they’d like you to believe.
It’s not everyday you see Ferrari’s and Shelby’s sitting for sale at your local “Joe Shit The Ragmans” used car lot. Those lots are filled with Hyundai’s, Nissan’s and every other dime a dozen modified beater that no one really wants but maybe had to have for a minute.
DirtyStack
Gold Gambler
Jimmy Pancakes
Casino Crown Jewel
I’m not sure it’s that new chippers don’t have an interest in real casino chips, but rather there is a LOT less exposure to them then say 2+ years ago.
I got interested in chips after my first time playing poker in Vegas pre MoneyMaker. Thought to myself, man, these are cool, gotta get me a set, and so it began.
I think many other new chippers are the same, but the “Mail Pron” and classified threads are not filled with nice THC/TRK racks anymore. And the few that are have a $4K+ price tag.
People aren’t as keen or comfortable with big $ frivolous spending anymore - so they go for the next best thing..
Personally, I think the Key West chips are pretty close to the best value available for new chippers right now.
I got interested in chips after my first time playing poker in Vegas pre MoneyMaker. Thought to myself, man, these are cool, gotta get me a set, and so it began.
I think many other new chippers are the same, but the “Mail Pron” and classified threads are not filled with nice THC/TRK racks anymore. And the few that are have a $4K+ price tag.
People aren’t as keen or comfortable with big $ frivolous spending anymore - so they go for the next best thing..
Personally, I think the Key West chips are pretty close to the best value available for new chippers right now.
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rieguy
Casino Crown Jewel
Yup. A lot of people like myself saw a Hobbyphallic video and went there to grab some China Clays and leave. You stick around long enough and you see some of the good shit, either wanting to dive in or bail due to cost. Now, it's a flood of Tina/ceramic GBs or NAGBs, and while I don't hate on the latter like most, when you see a price tag like $4/chip when you first join, it's a huge shock and makes zero sense. That applies to all chips, but the exposure is mostly to those unless you dig a big.
5-5. Hard 10!!!
I don’t think most hate on the latter as much as some of us would just like to see some legit transparency when it comes to these.
Stop with all the “about community” horseshit and just say we did it for the $.
THAT’S ALL!
Just be honest like Fred Durst for once!