Building a Budget Set? (1 Viewer)

[ChippinUp]

I’ve heard good things about the outlaws vs some of the others you mentioned. I think outlaws are certainly a step up from dice chips.

Ultimately if you hang around long enough on this forum those outlaws become TINA’s, TINA’s become Royals/quality ceramics and when all is said and done you own Paulsons. It’s a right of passage.

Enjoy the ride

 

[DeeVee8]

It starts with a "budget set". Before long, you'll decide to make a small upgrade. Next thing you know you'll be mashing the refresh button on a Chip Room sale. Welcome to the Sh!tshow my good man.

 

[springbox]

I think anything with a printed denomination is a step up from dice chips. The edges tend to be smoothed a lot better too, and they don't have that horribly boring appearance. That being said, the first step up from dice chips is the rational place to stop...

 

[Meowerdoom]

I have a few China Clay sample sets but no ABS sample sets. Is there really a significant difference in feel and handling between China Clays and plastics?

 

[ChippinUp]

I have a few China Clay sample sets but no ABS sample sets. Is there really a significant difference in feel and handling between China Clays and plastics?

Terminology can make this question tricky as China clays are plastic with additional materials added to give them a better “ feel”

If you are holding a dice chip and comparing it to a majestic or Royal from Apache then in my opinion the China clay feels significantly better however at the end of the day you are still holding two plastic chips….

 

[mconn116]

I have a few China Clay sample sets but no ABS sample sets. Is there really a significant difference in feel and handling between China Clays and plastics?

I can’t comment on many “china clays” like those from Tina or Apache but I can say the few I’ve handled (casino royale stealth/lucky horseshoe/outlaws) the outlaws specifically feel noticeably better than the Wally World dice chips everyone seems to have to start out. Plus the design IMO is cool and makes them more enjoyable

 

[GreekRedEye]

If you are going to buy slugged ABS, I think you have found the style of sluggos I think are the best, the Outlaw, Lucky Horseshoe, Monaco bunch.

The basic progression is: Dice chips -> other slugged chips -> china clays or ceramics -> casino clays or casino plastics

That said, I recommend you skip the sluggos. Most folks end up getting casinos eventually. Some stay at the china clay or ceramic phase and are happy there. But virtually no one who spends a lot of time collecting chips is happy with or stays at the slugged ABS stage. You can get china clays or ceramics for just a bit more money, especially if you shop deals in the classifieds. You will probably not be able to sell the sluggos in the future, but there is a market for used china clays and ceramics with good designs and in usable breakdowns.

Here is a deal for a base of Pharoah china clays: https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/pharaoh-cc-cash-set.113881/
You can buy another rack of $5s and a few barrels of $25s off of Apache to complete it. Or post a wanted ad - you may find someone with extras they are willing to sell to you for cheap to help a new chipper.

If you like the Outlaw design, the the Nevada Jack ceramics from BR Pro Poker might interst you. I have some 25c chips coming my way that I don't need. I can send you a rack for the cost of shipping ($10) just to help you out. Then you can get the other denoms from BR Pro.

One last thing to think about: security. Stock chips from any retailer are insecure because someone can bring in chips into your game and slip them in. The best way to avoid this is with custom chips. But that is mostly out of your budget right now, but you still have options to customize:
1. Custom label a sluggo or china clay set
2. Go with a Tina ceramic group buy and use a custom design
3. Buy a custom china clay or ceramic set used from someone that is unique
4. Not as good as the above, but another option is to go the "semi-custom" route with BR Pro. They will change the denom colors for you for 5 cents more per chip. It is not as good as fully custom, but makes it a bit more effort for someone to sneak a chip in, because they'd have to go place a semi-custom order themself.