Help Identifying Chips (1 Viewer)

[kaysirtap]

Hello,

I've been trying to find information on a few of my chips and was hoping some of you may be able to help.

The top row I've seen described as "Vegas Chipco Ceramics" on a post in this forum before, but I have not been able to confirm via search engine. There doesn't seem to be many examples of these online. How would I verify if these are in fact Chipcos?

The second row I've found out are Paulson Starburst THC's. My best guess as to the colors are Grain Blue, White, and Day Green. Does this look to be accurate? I put a common Bic pen in the picture for color reference if that helps. I also have read that these chips can be wobbly due to the hot stamping. Is that an issue with all hot stamped Paulson's or only the Starbursts? I ask because the ones in the bottom row are also hot stamped but seem to stack a little more solidly than the Starbursts.

And then lastly are Paulson THC's that seem to have been tournament chips at The Peppermill in Reno at some point. Again, not much info on these particular chips online. Anybody have any guesses or insight as to what the deal with these are?

Thanks in advance for any information!

 

[ReallyGoodUsername]

Welcome to the site. I don’t know ceramics so I’ll let someone else speak to them. The Paulson colors you have right. Starbursts are more likely to wobble than others though plenty of casino hotstamps don’t wobble much if at all.

 

[SteveEH]

The ceramics look like chipcos because of the white ring around the edge of the chip/lack of printing color all the way to the edge. This was a common feature on them back in the day when they were available.

 

[allforcharity]

1) Sharp white ring on the outer edge of the face are a hallmark of Chipco ceramics

2) White and Day Green Starburst colours are likely accurate. Blue Grain is probably too new of a colour to be Starbursts. Only way to know for sure is to match up with a colour sample set in hand.
Warping is quite common among hotstamped clay chips. Luckily, this can be fixed with reasonable effort.

3) Peppermill hot stamped chips probably date back to the 70s/80s. You can check out The Chip Guide, they might have more accurate date info on circulation.

 

[kaysirtap]

This was a common feature on them back in the day when they were available.

In the early 2000's I remember several of the mini-casinos I went to in the Pacific Northwest started to use these. I didn't like them at all at first... I think it was the glassy sound they made. So they no longer make chips for casinos? Why is that?

2) White and Day Green Starburst colours are likely accurate. Blue Grain is probably too new of a colour to be Starbursts. Only way to know for sure is to match up with a colour sample set in hand.
Warping is quite common among hotstamped clay chips. Luckily, this can be fixed with reasonable effort.

Any best guesses as to what the blue would be if not Blue Grain? Regarding the warping, how can it be fixed?

 

[kaysirtap]

3) Peppermill hot stamped chips probably date back to the 70s/80s. You can check out The Chip Guide, they might have more accurate date info on circulation.

Took me a while to find the Chip Guide resource, thanks for the reference. I see that whoever contributed information about these chips said they were issued around 2003, but I know that can't be right because I've had them since 1998 and who knows how long they were around before that. Do you think I should submit an update if I don't really know when they were issued? I can say I've had mine since 1998, but I have no way of proving that to anyone and I don't think that information really helps determine when they were issued..

 

[ekricket]

Took me a while to find the Chip Guide resource, thanks for the reference. I see that whoever contributed information about these chips said they were issued around 2003, but I know that can't be right because I've had them since 1998 and who knows how long they were around before that. Do you think I should submit an update if I don't really know when they were issued? I can say I've had mine since 1998, but I have no way of proving that to anyone and I don't think that information really helps determine when they were issued..

You must be wrong. The chipguide takes great pains to make sure that their copyrighted and patented information is 100% correct. Because you can’t defend IP if your information is all wrong and they ARE the champions of IP litigation.
Just ask them.

 

[HughDrackman]

. So they no longer make chips for casinos? Why is that?

For all intents and purposes, Chipco is out of business. They still have s as website, but no matter where you try to navigate, it says that there aren’t any products matching that selection.

I believe @BGinGA has more info about the Chipco company, but the best you’re likely to find are Chipco blanks being sold through BRPro or Sunfly.

 

[kaysirtap]

You must be wrong. The chipguide takes great pains to make sure that their copyrighted and patented information is 100% correct. Because you can’t defend IP if your information is all wrong and they ARE the champions of IP litigation.
Just ask them.

Okay, that's fine. But I'm not wrong. I got those chips in Washington state during the summer of 1998 because these are the chips I used when I was first learning how to handle them. I assume then that they're quite a bit older since they would likely be retired from The Peppermill and that's how they made their way north. By the end of 2001, two years before the approximated issue date in the guide, I was no longer living in Washington... which would be helpful in determining that they are pre-2001 if I only knew where I got them and not when. But like I said, I do know when and it was 1998. Anyway, I don't need to submit an update if it's such a big deal that they're always right. I just thought maybe it was one of those things where if someone from the community has relevant information, that it is welcomed for the sake of accurate record-keeping.

 

[allforcharity]

Okay, that's fine. But I'm not wrong. I got those chips in Washington state during the summer of 1998 because these are the chips I used when I was first learning how to handle them. I assume then that they're quite a bit older since they would likely be retired from The Peppermill and that's how they made their way north. By the end of 2001, two years before the approximated issue date in the guide, I was no longer living in Washington... which would be helpful in determining that they are pre-2001 if I only knew where I got them and not when. But like I said, I do know when and it was 1998. Anyway, I don't need to submit an update if it's such a big deal that they're always right. I just thought maybe it was one of those things where if someone from the community has relevant information, that it is welcomed for the sake of accurate record-keeping.

ekricket was being sarcastic. Chip Guide information is full of holes, but they seem very belligerent about defending their holey status. And their copyright claims.

 

[BGinGA]

Top row chips were manufactured by Chipco International.

Second row chips were manufactured by Paulson, and hot-stamped at the factory with their 'starburst' pattern cancelation stamp in gold foil. These were typically sold in their Las Vegas and Atlantic City stores. Colors are likely Day Blue, White, and Day Green. Possibly Horizon Blue, but definitely not Blue Grain.

Third row chips were manufactured by Paulson, most likely in 1985. All of the Peppermill Reno original-release chips had the same 312 spot pattern.

 

[allforcharity]

Any best guesses as to what the blue would be if not Blue Grain? Regarding the warping, how can it be fixed?

Best guesses are usually not great guesses, because variation in the light levels in the photo along with your monitor settings can really skew things, so we tend to go with what is/was most commonly found. There are more shades of blue in the Paulson colour catalog than other colour.

 

[kaysirtap]

Blue Grain is probably too new of a colour to be Starbursts.

Where might I find the age of specific colors?