Silver Star Chips -- what's the history? (1 Viewer)

liftapint

Royal Flush
Supporter
Joined
May 29, 2013
Messages
13,865
Reaction score
44,402
Location
PNW
So...Silver Stars are from Vegas. How are they available in quantity? I mean, I thought Vegas chips had to be destroyed, or basically couldn't "get out". How did it come to be that I have a full set of them? There are a handful of other Vegas sets available to collectors too (I have the full list somewhere). How did this happen?

Anyone know the history on this?
 
Remember:
- The destruction law in Nevada has not always been on the books; and
- How important is it to follow that law if either you didn’t get a license, or you surrendered your license?
 
Silver Stars are from Vegas. How are they available in quantity?
The destruction law in Nevada has not always been on the books
^ This.

The Silver Star closed in 1978, prior to the current Nevada law that requires the destruction of obsolete gaming checks. This online article from the Discount Poker Shop website sums it up well:
The state of Nevada issued Regulation 12 in 1987. Regulation 12 stated that poker chips were the property of casinos, thereby prohibiting gamblers from using the chips as currency. The law also required executives to destroy expired chips according to state specifications. This law was instituted to help decrease the amount of fraud and theft in casinos. Regulation 12 also helps prevent counterfeit chips from entering the casino building.

Some players were displeased with the new law, which prevented them from paying off debts with chips. Under Regulation 12, casino chips can now only be used as a cash substitute during the game itself and not as currency away from the gambling tables. When players cash in their chips, cashiers are required to ask the player for his or her card as proof that these chips were earned during the game. If a person is unable to prove the origin of the chips, the cage is allowed to refuse to cash them. According to state law, a casino can refuse to cash chips if the casino “knows or reasonably should know” that the chips were not obtained by gambling.

When a casino decides to incorporate a new poker chip set into its games, it must submit its plans to the Gaming Control Board stating the design of the new chip and all security features. These security features often include radio frequency identification tags and ultraviolet markings. The data sheet for the new poker chips set must also state the plan the casino has for disposing of the old chips.

In order to properly dispose of chips, a casino is required to consult with a board-approved disposal company. At times, the disposal company can be the same one that manufactured the chips. Expired chips are loaded into a truck and crushed by a tumbler into dust. Gaming regulators are required to be present in order to run an audit and to witness the actual destruction.
 
Remember:
- The destruction law in Nevada has not always been on the books; and
- How important is it to follow that law if either you didn’t get a license, or you surrendered your license?

Thanks for the info John...so I suppose the Mesquite Star chips are examples of the second reason ?
 
Actual footage of the Gaming Regulator that is "required to be present in order to run an audit and to witness the actual destruction."

BOO-crying.gif
 
So...Silver Stars are from Vegas. How are they available in quantity? I mean, I thought Vegas chips had to be destroyed, or basically couldn't "get out". How did it come to be that I have a full set of them? There are a handful of other Vegas sets available to collectors too (I have the full list somewhere). How did this happen?

Anyone know the history on this?
Sorry to bring back to life an old thread, but @liftapint I would love to see your full set. This thread is useless without PICS!!! :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:

I love the Silver Star $1s. (duh - who doesn't) Would love to add them to my THC 312 set. Unlike a lot of you folks, I would like good used condition chips to match the rest of my set. Y'all can have all the minty ones. :D So if anyone has a line on some nice used ones, hit me up.
 
Why so sad? Don't have this set any more?
@PocketAces can provide pr0n.

I think letting these go is my #2 chipping regret (only behind selling a rack of Nevada Lodge $25s to a friend).
It's my #1 chipping desire....getting another set of minty Silver Stars. I think I'd rather have a set of these, even more than I'd like to have Desert Spa $5s...and that's saying A LOT.
 
@PocketAces can provide pr0n.

I think letting these go is my #2 chipping regret (only behind selling a rack of Nevada Lodge $25s to a friend).
It's my #1 chipping desire....getting another set of minty Silver Stars. I think I'd rather have a set of these, even more than I'd like to have Desert Spa $5s...and that's saying A LOT.
I have a feeling this is why in the almost two years I have been involved in this hobby, I have bought quite a few different chips and sets, but sold very little. Truth be known, my wife uses the word "hoarder" to describe me! :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:
 
There is something I was always wondering regarding the Silver Star chips.

There are the original Silver Star chips with the THC mold but there are also the Nevada mold ones which are also referred as "Borland".

From what I know, these "Borland" are souvenirs/fantasy chips that were sold after the casino closed.

What I'm wondering is if :
- the Silver Star branding dropped to public domain by its owner ;
- the owner of Silver Star brand allowed a company to use it to sell souvenirs ;
- these "Bordland" were made produced without any authorization from the brand owner ;
- other ?
 
these "Bordland" were made produced without any authorization from the brand owner
The Borland chips that were produced in the 90s was when Bill Borland was manufacturing chips. Borland had bought the dies from Bud Jones & basically bought Bud Jones completely. They originally had the DieCar, Nevada, Coin Inlay chips and other molds. Because Borland owned the dies and many of the casinos that were reproduced were closed at the time it was not a problem. Many of them were technically sold as souvenirs or for home sets. There is still lots of confusion between the ones manufactured at the original time of the casino being open and then the reproductions. There was no need for authorization because Borland owned the dies and the casinos were closed.

So easy as this....
Paulson H&C Chips - Real
Borland Nevada Mold Chips- Fake, Reproductions
 
I know that these are tribute.

Being in possession of the dies does not mean being allowed to use them commercially I think.

Ex. you create an hotstamp CPC set and you order a custom dye with your logo / band. It should not allow CPC to sell chips using that dye without your autorisation.

That's why I was wondering how Borland could create these chips.
 
I know that these are tribute.

Being in possession of the dies does not mean being allowed to use them commercially I think.

Ex. you create an hotstamp CPC set and you order a custom dye with your logo / band. It should not allow CPC to sell chips using that dye without your autorisation.

That's why I was wondering how Borland could create these chips.
I have a nice set of Borland Dunes chips. I did a lot of research and found there are a few threads on here that discuss the chips and their history at length, and also link to other sites outside of PCF. I can send you some of those links if you like. No promises that they will answer your questions though... :confused
 
http://www.marlowcasinochips.com/links/davidspragg/borland/borlandfantasy.htm

http://www.marlowcasinochips.com/links/davidspragg/borland/borlandhotstamp.htm

This gives much more information about the orders and so on.

"Bill Borland purchased the Nevada & DieCard molds about 1991. He then proceeded to have the following chips made for him by Atlantic Standard in order that he could sell them as commemorative chips in his store for $1 each. "

"The chips were not made with the intention of mis-leading collectors although this has happened in latter times due to inadequate or incorrect descriptions on eBay and unscrupulous dealers."
 
That's why I was wondering how Borland could create these chips.
My guess is that no one was in a position to stop him. The casinos had the rights to use the dies, but the casinos were out of business. The rights presumably still belonged to someone - specifically, whoever took possession of the casino's remaining assets when they were sold in bankruptcy - but whoever that was probably didn't know what Borland was doing and probably wouldn't have cared enough to stop him even if they did.

Borland probably didn't even think about who actually held the rights to use the dies.

... but this is just my speculation. Someone more familiar with the people involved might be able to speak more authoritatively as to who did what with or without whose permission.
 

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!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top Bottom