Buying Advice Please (1 Viewer)

Doug

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Hi All,

I used to enjoy playing poker with friends many moons ago, back in the college days. Then everyone started getting married and having kids, and the games died down. My oldest now is turning 12, and I want to start weekly/monthly card game nights with the wife and kids. First step was picking up a solid poker table. I am now on the next step, of picking up some custom poker chips but on a budget. Looking at two options and would appreciate your input.

1) buy blanking majestic from apache and getting labels from gear. 500 chips - 35cent chips, 30cent labels = 75cents per chip

2) buy great wall of china chips from chip lounge, roughly same cost as above, but it includes a designer and they will put the labels on it for me. Only concern, I have not seen one posting of a review on chip lounge on google.

If I am missing any other options of customized clay chips for less than $1 per chip, please let me know.
 
Have you checked out straightpokersupplies in Toronto? Think they sell customs of china clay (If not you might be able to get blanks) and with the current exchange / shipping costs from the US it's probably worth a look.
 
Others will chime in I'm sure, but I know my tastes have changed since I first discovered the chipping world, so take this with a grain of salt.

Is custom chips the most important thing to you? The reason I ask is that custom labels/inlays on clay chips can get spendy quick and when you are done you have either china clays that are labeled or used casino chips that are labeled. I don't think I would want to pay .75/chip for china clays even with a custom label, that's getting a little steep for me to end up with china clays (even though they are very good chips and others might disagree with me violently).

If I was at your point I think I would find a used Paulson casino set and start saving for CPC chips with the savings. This advice might not work out for you depending on what denominations you want (cash game vs tournament), but for example the Garden City chips are rather plentiful and dirt cheap (comparatively). Yes, they are as round as bicycle tires and dirty as hell, but real Paulson chips, no matter the condition, will always be more desirable to me than china clays. Again, nothing wrong with cc, I have two sets of them, but if I was starting over I think I would go Garden City and start dreaming about a CPC order. :)
 
just took a stroll over to straighpoker supplies, they have custom 1000 chips, tri-stripe, but 14 grams? I read that I should be looking for 10 grams.

Looking to play with the kids, so I don't need high end chips from CPC. Just something in a dollar chip range. Ideally, a dragon logo, with all our initials on it, making it a fun family thing.

I see us playing for quarters mostly. It would be nice to force them as teenagers to sit and play with us. We get them to sit with us once in a while, they might win a few extra bucks for the week.
 
Not sure how much they are but the "crazy horse" chips are around 10gram, you could remove the labels and custom them. If you're not against ceramic chips you can probably do up something nice.

If you are not totally set on customs like posted above i'd look into some used casino chips. I recently picked up a garden city set myself.
 
Pricing would be the same as option 1, buying majestics and putting labels on. I wouldn't have to remove labels and put them on.
 
Hi All,
1) buy blanking majestic from apache and getting labels from gear. 500 chips - 35cent chips, 30cent labels = 75cents per chip

35 cents + 30 cents = 65 cents

Are you adding in something else to get to 75 cents?
 
missed that completely, 65 cents for option 1, but I would put labels and need a designer.

option 2 is 10 cents more but they would do the graphics and put the labels on. Anyone know who Chip Lounge is?

I have no experience with ceramics but they appear to be just flat discs? with no feel to them?
 
but they appear to be just flat discs? with no feel to them?

Not exactly, no. They're more than just thin cylinders, and they definitely have a feel to them.

Most ceramic chips have some semblance of a bevel to them, and most have some sort of texture to the chips. The texture could be by way of manufacturing it directly into the ceramic blank, or from a film applied to the face of the chips.

I highly encourage you to get sample sets of a few different manufacturers to see what I'm talking about here. Nevada Jacks are made by ABC and have the film I was talking about. PGI-made chips have a different bevel and feel altogether. Same with chips from GOCC. Same with the poly-clay blanks from Sun-Fly.

At a minimum, I encourage you to get a sample set of the Nevada Jacks from ABC. I have sample sets of PGI-made chips available as well, although it would be significantly cheaper if you can find a fellow Canadian to sell you some samples instead of me (international postage is a bitch). That being said, if you'd like to buy a sample set from me then fire me a PM and we'll work out the details.
 
Get samples. Start with china clays and ceramics, with maybe some used casino chips. All are in your price range, so it really boils down to what you like/want. Nobody here can tell you that, which is why you need samples. Best chip investment you can make, bar none.
 
My oldest now is turning 12, and I want to start weekly/monthly card game nights with the wife and kids.

This is a great way to get that allowance money back. Take it off the kids, but be sure to lose it to the wife. Genius!

Seriously though, SAMPLES!
 
Hmmm...he's in Toronto, so he could drop by Straight Poker and check some out in person. I have some spare ceramic samples from Sunfly (Apollon and a set from OWPS).

@Doug, if you are interested, send me a PM.
 
can always go the roulette chip route.....either the THC mold or the roulette mold...both are Paulsons and both are usually found cheap. They might not come with labels but you can get the standard colors or just have Gear make labels. Also lots of starburst Paulson chips floating around for reasonable prices
 
So chip lounge also sells a clay chip that has the image printed directly on the chip. Any warnings against that? I am thinking it might wear off faster? Its their prestige trapezoid, which looks like the milano.

"It's got a high clay content (compression molded), the image prints directly onto the chip (not an inlay label), and there are 7 different colors to choose from. "

Same price range.
 
Keep the exchange rate, sales tax on imports (13% HST for Ontario residents), and brokerage fees on anything purchased in the States. With the exchange rate at $1.38 Cdn for $1 USD, you might be in for some sticker shock.

The Crazy Horse chips at Straight Poker are the same as the Milanos...just a different label. Get a sample there before committing to a set on that chip.
 
So 71 cent chip×500=350+40 for designer+50 for shipping.
$450 US - $630 cdn.

I can live with that, but if there is a better option, please let me know.

I figure the real CPC at 1.50 US per chip will cost me 1200-1500 cdn, and that is out of reach for me.
 
Palm Gaming International (PGI) (www.palmgaming.us) has "compression clays" which are china clays, and they do labels as well. I have a sample of their china clays, and like them. If I didn't already have a set of decent ceramics, I'd consider them if I was in the market for a china clay. They may have a discount to members of Chiptalk and/or PCF. If you are interested, you could send an e-mail to PGI (sales@palmimports.com).

@spikeithard has (or had) a set from them on the 8v pattern which isn't listed on their website. He might be able to provide some more info on their chips and labels with respect to quality and playability.

On the Canadian front, MRCPoker offers custom ceramics (http://www.mrcpoker.com/create_poker_chips). I wouldn't get their inlaid chips, but their Laurel Crown chips are decent for the money (a friend of mine has a tournament set). If their custom ceramics are like those, they wouldn't be a bad option, provided you would be willing to go ceramic.

But honestly, not all chips are created equal. There is a pretty wide gap between the feel of the various mid-range chips that are available. And everybody will have different opinions...some people like the "Milano" chips, while others hate them. You won't know what **you** will like until you actually check them out. That is why there has been a mantra of "get samples"...

If you haven't stumbled on it already, the mid-range chip thread on 2+2 is worth reading.

So 71 cent chip×500=350+40 for designer+50 for shipping.
$450 US - $630 cdn.

I can live with that, but if there is a better option, please let me know.

I figure the real CPC at 1.50 US per chip will cost me 1200-1500 cdn, and that is out of reach for me.

Yeah, the CPC chips are pricey for Canadians at the moment. (today's rate is $1.40, actually...link). Ugh.

For the price you quoted for china clays:

  • $390 US for the chips ($545.73 CDN approx)
  • No duty
  • Expect the tax to be around $70.95 CDN. I've always gotten nailed on it...
  • Shipping will be $50 USD ($70 CDN)
  • Brokerage will depend on the shipper...if USPS/Canada Post, it's $10 CDN.
    • If it's UPS, it's $64+ on a shipment valued at $500-$750 CDN (they have a sliding scale). They may also charge additional fees (bond fee and possibly other fees) for paying the Customs fees and getting it from you (link)

So, if you go USPS, the custom china clay is approx $697 CDN. You could get a comparable Crazy Horse set new for around $248 Cdn total (link). If you want a custom set, check these out, use them while saving up for a better custom option, then sell these and get a custom set once the Cdn dollar recovers.
 
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So chip lounge also sells a clay chip that has the image printed directly on the chip. Any warnings against that? I am thinking it might wear off faster? Its their prestige trapezoid, which looks like the milano.

"It's got a high clay content (compression molded), the image prints directly onto the chip (not an inlay label), and there are 7 different colors to choose from. "

Same price range.

I've been meaning to get samples of their 'direct print' china clay product for evaluation. Since it's printed in the recess area (where a label would normally go), I don't think excessive wear would be a problem. I'm more curious as to what print process is used, and how it covers the large injection point that is usually present on one side of the chip's recess.

Chip Lounge is also one of PGI's resellers. Many products they sell can be purchased directly from PGI for a lot less.
 
I will check out the PGI route, will send them an email. They charge 69 cents for compression clay and $35 for designer. Hoping its one time charge of $35 and not for every color.
 
Tell Joe (VP at PGI) that you are a member here. Typically prices for PCF and CT members is less than those stated online. Pretty sure the $35 designer charge is hourly, but Joe will work with you on that.
 
great advice, I am going to send off this email to Joe, but any input on color for my $2 and $20.

PGI Edgespot Clays
Value -Color- Qty
0.25 -Green- 200
1 -White- 150
2 -Purple Or Orange Or Grey Or Blue- 100
5 -Red- 25
20 -Purple Or Orange Or Grey Or Blue- 25

Can't use brown or black, my table is chocolate suited.
 
I'd go with orange $20 and drop the $2 chip - you don't need it.

You probably only need 100x quarters, too. Get more $1 and $5 chips.
 
I sent an inquiry to that email (sales@palmimports.com) on Tuesday night, but haven't heard from back from Joe. anyone else currently dealing with Palm gaming?
 
I sent an inquiry to that email (sales@palmimports.com) on Tuesday night, but haven't heard from back from Joe. anyone else currently dealing with Palm gaming?

Sometimes it takes a while to hear back from him. According to Joe, they've been quite busy lately. I've waited as long as two weeks to hear from him before. If you don't hear from him in a week or so don't hesitate to fire off another email.
 

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