• This site contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, Poker Chip Forum may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Have Chinese cards mold replica sets gone too far? (6 Viewers)

justincarothers said:
Nobody really knows what Tina is up to in her lair. She did approach me to make artwork for a hat and cane mold that she called “TopHat” mold. I explored it but ultimately decided I did not want to participate in something like that. I told her we had a couple of other ideas for a new mold and have those almost ready. Going to put up a poll soon to see what people think. Once one is picked she has agreed to start producing chips on this new mold.
Click to expand...
That's interesting! Maybe we'll never see a TinaHC mold after all then.
 
Perthmike said:
So nuke pcf?
Click to expand...

aggie said:
@aggie: “Should we celebrate counterfeits?”

PCF:
Click to expand...
bcea319c-1d48-4556-ae71-ba900f750c1a_text.gif
 
justincarothers said:
Nobody really knows what Tina is up to in her lair. She did approach me to make artwork for a hat and cane mold that she called “TopHat” mold. I explored it but ultimately decided I did not want to participate in something like that. I told her we had a couple of other ideas for a new mold and have those almost ready. Going to put up a poll soon to see what people think. Once one is picked she has agreed to start producing chips on this new mold.
Click to expand...
"An original mold would be preferred" was my response before there was ever a mold.
 
Ben8257 said:
Funny I got a copy of that exact message from someone that included the actual picture of the new chip... that's only PART of that message. Who's going to post the attached picture? Lol

Fine I will raise
View attachment 1030878
Click to expand...
Haha Tina sent that to everyone after someone from here sent it to her and asked her if she could do it
 
Ben8257 said:
But it absolutely WILL "water down" the hobby.

What happens when 20 players with card molds sets of BTPs post in the "live home game thread"

Another person saves up for 3 years and finally purchases the real thing and proud as hell posts their first picture... it gets 2 likes and why? Because 25 of the last 40 posts were of the same chips, the same colors, the same (but fake) artwork.
Click to expand...
Ben, you know I have HUGE respect for you brother, but I'm sorry. I don't see this happening ever... We know what the REAL thing looks like.

Ben8257 said:
Does it really matter or should it? I mean it's a poker chip forum, we all boast and want to be appreciated for our investments, our collections, out victories in completing or the epic "finally playable"

As stated above with the correct lighting a picture can absolutely 100% look like the real thing. It's not coming... it has already happened! Posts of "getting my Arias on the felt tonight!" "Getting my BTPs in play yeah Boy!!" There is no mention of Card Molds. WE as chippers get excited to see real rare and hard to find chips hit the felt... it warms our hearts and gets us excited (as chip nerds) when we get to see "the real deal" those painstaking efforts I spoke of above put into play. Seeing pictures constantly of fakes will take away that excitement.

And again what happens when the folks with the originals just "go away" stop posting and participating in the once great hobby, we just assume that someone stepping in here in 2023 is going to know what the real deal is?
Click to expand...
Sorry, not happening either. No one is going away just because there are cheap ceramic chips that look "similar" to their expensive chips. Copies exist in many other areas of our lives. The copies are only popular BECAUSE the real thing is popular. Copies drive more interest in the real thing.

Ben8257 said:
Oh and for the record there are MANY chips that I would literally "kiss the bare ass of a keebler elf" for the chance to purchase for $15 each! But I have played poker with probably a couple hundred members here... never once do I mention what I have invested in the set... especially with non chippers. I love our hobby and it is important to me, people know what that Rolex is worth... i kind of enjoy the moddest approach of allowing folks to play with a chip set that cost $10k for a $20 poker game. Its not really an investment to me, it is a passion I get to enjoy withs friends, family and peirs!

This hobby is different to everyone, we own a set of Sunfly Hybrids that I enjoy damn near as much as real clay. The new Hybrid inlay Tina chips I have been raving about are just awesome!
View attachment 1028250
Sure the man behind the curtain took some "inspiration" from other chips, but his own design, his own colors, more than once has offered for others to join him on group buys @Himewad

Again there is a huge # of chippers that have designed their own thing, have a budget and 100% I think that is probably a decent investment with all things considered (better than non denom Dice chips) nothing wrong with "not spending $2k on poker chips" if it's a monthly neighborhood $20 game. No one is saying YOU MUST buy Paulsons!

But somethings "should" be sacred, some things take effort to get to the top! I feel for those that put in the effort just to see someone make rip off fakes of their cherished chips!
Click to expand...

Another point about cards mold chips. And china clays that came before them. They're the "gateway drug" to our hobby. Before cards mold we had china clay Dunes & Pharaoh chips. Did those destroy interest in the real things? What about the Borland Nevada Mold Las Vegas tribute chips? Or those Spirit mold chips that looked almost the same as Paulson CDIs?

I'm a prime example of cheap chips being a gateway drug. I came here 2.5 years ago to get some info and find reviews on buying one or two CHEAP sets of poker chips. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I'd be where I am today. Seriously, I was so cheap that I thought Milanos were a bit too expensive. My first set was 22 cents a chip PGI 8V china clays. And I still LOVE those chips. Used them in a family game on Thanksgiving night. But in the meantime, I got an education. And I made a WHOLE LOT of friends here. I got samples of THC, TRK and CPC chips. And I went to a meetup where I played poker with some AWESOME chips sets. And I kept on buying chips. I now have clay sets from Paulson, (both THC & RHC) a vintage LGK casino set, 8Vs & Spirit mold china clays and several sets of cards mold. I love my Aria's cards molds. The real thing are still live chips, so no way I could have a playable set. I might own a few $5s, ONE $20 or $25 chip and certainly nothing over a $100.

My point is that people are not going to leave the hobby and leave PCF because of "fake" ceramic copies of valuable clay chips. They're just not. The vast majority of us active members here are still here after spending thousands on poker chips because of the PEOPLE. No one who REALLY WANTS Paulsons is going to settle and be happy with cards mold. Cards mold are just another way to have MOAR CHIPES. If anything, having the copies makes you want the real thing even more! If any of these awesome real sets lose value, it won't be because there are cheap ceramic copies of them. There is no comparison, no matter how you arrange the lighting and take some photos.
 
upNdown said:
Intellectual property I guess? Aria might not sell chips, but they certainly sell hats and shirts and stuff with their logo on it. I mean, take that Aria copy design to BroPoker and do you think they’ll print it on chips?
What’s the harm? Maybe none, but that doesn’t make it legal. Listen, people can do what they want and I’m not going to lecture them about it - none of my business. But if we’re giving opinions on it, there’s mine.
Click to expand...
Can colors and spot patterns in a specific order be intellectual property? I'm not a patent attorney, so I don't know the answer to that question. But regarding the Aria's tribute chips, I'm sure you've seen them. They were specifically designed by J5 NOT to be exact copies, notwithstanding the fact that the mold pattern is also different. The "A" logo used is different. The use of Aria's instead of just Aria has a personal meaning to the person who first requested the design. There are some other small differences too. Don't know if they would stand up in court, but I'm not terribly worried.
 
Colors are not part of the IP.

But make a logo slightly different (even with a typo) could be considered counterfeiting.

Look at the fake Barbies destroyed by the US customs...
 
Last edited:
All this, and nobody’s complaining about Hot Wheels! Why they look just like the real thing.
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account and join our community. It's easy!

Register

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Similar threads

Santa123
  • Poll Poll
POLL: Have Chinese cards mold replica sets gone too far?
Replies
12
Views
1K
Santa123
Santa123
Back
Top Bottom