The Untouchables (2 Viewers)

[Psypher1000]

Last night I was pondering what I would do if I was forced to cull my chip closet down (I know, I'm a masochist). If I had to reduce my holdings to no more than three sets, which would be my keepers? All or nothing...no partial sets or sample sets retained.

The first two in would be easy...

1. Empress - For all the time and money invested into this thing, plus its flexibility, this would be the final thing I let go of. It will even have some custom fracs added in the relatively near future, and I have sufficient chips for a 20-person 5-25-100-500-1k tournament set.

2. The Armory cash set - Even though this is the second set of custom chips I created, it's the first set I knew I wanted to make. The colors and spots just didn't quite fall into place for me initially like the tourney chips did. Regardless, the scroll mold was the first mold that I fell in love with, and scrolls w/X14 spots will always have a place in my heart (RIP Engdahl Casino, and long live the Victoria Casino).

...but then there's a logjam for #3. Do I go SPM with the amazing inlay, the elegantly simple edgespots, and custom quarters? The phenomenal MG v1's on the underused-but-amazing four suits mold (wonky inlay shapes be damned)? The hopefully soon-to-be-received Trops with the history and the Vegas connection & that great house mold? The WTH&C with its unique mold, shaped inlays and great colors?

Nope. The final set in is...

3. Near-mint spotted hotstamp/custom set - This set has six different colors (once I receive all the chips), is in phenomenal shape, and has one of my favorite spotted redbirds I've ever seen/owned - the Fabulous Frequency 100 chip from Vegas World. All together I have 500+ chips from Vegas World - my first Vegas casino love - in this set which *partially* scratches the Vegas itch, and if/once I mill and label everything, it will be large enough and flexible enough (since they'll all be "NCV") to run just about any game I'd want. Plus it's another set that I've collated over time and, theoretically, customized.

The first set out would be the Trops. I don't have everything in hand yet - although if that barrel of hundos I bought from @ssanel54 is any indication, I'm going to love them as much as I think I will. As much as it would kill me to part ways with these, if I had to cull my sets then this one would bring a nice price on the open market - likely far more than my hotstamped chips would - and I know a number of people who would appreciate them and take care of them just as well.

So what about you? What are your three sets you'd keep? What's your last in/first out & why?

 

[slisk250]

Never say never but I'll give it a shot. These are the sets I would never sell can only reduce to 8.

1. Any of my customs
2. Dunes cash 1/5/25/100/500/1000
3. BCC Mardi Gras v1 microcash
4. Stardust Poker Mansion Tournament set T25K X 24 players...trying to grow to 30 players only need less than two racks total to get there.
5. Terribles STJ primary cash/tournament/limit - I'll sell off the extras this summer
6. Terribles STJ secondary - some extras selling this summer
7. Terribles MT secondary - some extras selling this summer
8. PCNY cash/tournament set.

 

[bivey]

1. Chateau de Noix customs. They are my babies and I can't ever let them go.

2. Getting harder. Olivia's. Gift from my father and my gateway drug. Historically significant. From my home state. Gold $2 chips, black $1. The only set I own that I refuse to put into play.

3. Candidates are PNY tourney set, Bellagio (old) cash set, partial, cps 2000 chip tourney set, my original house of nutz customs, solid Paulson remodel project...

I think I'd keep the PNY due to the difficult nature of reacquiring such a set. But this is hard. With new CdN is the works, this only gets harder....

I miss my empress sets....

Damn you psypher

 

[Psypher1000]

Never say never but I'll give it a shot. These are the sets I would never sell can only reduce to 8.

1. Any of my customs
2. Dunes cash 1/5/25/100/500/1000
3. BCC Mardi Gras v1 microcash
4. Stardust Poker Mansion Tournament set T25K X 24 players...trying to grow to 30 players only need less than two racks total to get there.
5. Terribles STJ primary cash/tournament/limit - I'll sell off the extras this summer
6. Terribles STJ secondary - some extras selling this summer
7. Terribles MT secondary - some extras selling this summer
8. PCNY cash/tournament set.

This illustrates why I think this would be a tough exercise for many folks. A lot of chippers have a lot of chips they really like. Forcing a limit down to three can really make you think about what you value the most in your sets and why.

 

[Psypher1000]

1. Chateau de Noix customs. They are my babies and I can't ever let them go.

2. Getting harder. Olivia's. Gift from my father and my gateway drug. Historically significant. From my home state. Gold $2 chips, black $1. The only set I own that I refuse to put into play.

3. Candidates are PNY tourney set, Bellagio (old) cash set, partial, cps 2000 chip tourney set, my original house of nutz customs, solid Paulson remodel project...

I think I'd keep the PNY due to the difficult nature of reacquiring such a set

Great list!

But this is hard. With new CdN is the works, this only gets harder....

Custom sets are great for a number of reasons, but they also can really muck up priorities/rankings like this. If it's hard, it should be.

I miss my empress sets....

Damn you psypher

I take this as a compliment If you have any leftover $1 primaries, I only need 22 to complete the third & final rack of my phase 1 $1 chips (of course, if more were available somewhere...anywhere...I'd buy more).

And if you ever want to sling them around again, The Armory has some pretty great weather during the winter months!

 

[k9dr]

1) Suicide Queens

2) Mapes/New China Club TRK's

3) PNY

 

[maxim_666666]

How about a photo?

 

[RussB42]

Reducing my chips, drives me "NUT'S".

Everytime I start this, I just start buying again, even before I reduce any.....

I can't make up my mind what to get rid of anyway.......

 

[DrStrange]

Hmmm, if I had to cull my fingers down to three - which three would I keep?

1. right thumb.
2. right index finger

Number three is hard. . . .

3. I guess the left thumb.

But culling my chips? No way!

DrStrange

 

[detroitdad]

I only own two sets

Sunset cpc's and Samurai Place BCC's. Both cash sets.

 

[JFCJ]

1. Hotel Mapes
2. "JC" TRK personal cash set
3. Grand Victoria secondaries

4. Tropicanas, 2nd Issues
5. Stardust Mansion Tournament
6. Stardust Casino, LV small cash set

Can't believe I forgot my Trops.

 

[liftapint]

The first set out would be the Trops.

Well shoot
But I get it.

My 3 I could never part with...also tough.

1) Nevada Lodge. Not sure why it is about those, but I *LOVE* them

2) Ritz. Need more. I love the oversized chips. I don't love the grand inlays, but with the bright colors and oversized chips, it hardly matters. Wish I could own all of them so I could McDuck.

3) Fitz. The large denomination, awesome colors, minty TRK goodness, Reno casino chips. Yum!

You'd have to work pretty hard to get Trops, Dunes and Emerald Princess out of my mitts at this point too.

First to go? Probably Mapes (because it will never be playable), or Kings Crown (because I can't find the rack of $5s I need!!). TRK blasphemy!!!!

 

[ssanel54]

1. Tropicana - Im lumping the cash and tourney chips together as a single set though given they are all 2nd editions.
2. Cajun Cups - too much history, and so much time and energy spent chasing down the $1s, I don't think I can ever let them go
3. Condor Club - custom set with denominations from .05 to $500 will accommodate multiple tables at almost any stakes.

First Out would probably be Palmas Club and Casino - they are beautiful, but redundant

Sets I swore I would never sell, but ended up selling:

1. Crystal Parks - my first real Flip. I loved the colors and lucked into a cheap auction early into my chipping career. I realized I would not be able to add onto the set at the current market value, but if I sold them I could buy customs, so off they went
2. TRK kings crown solid hotstamps. Still one of my favorite sets of all time and brilliant colors. Again, I could never find the T25s to add on so when the original seller wanted them back, we worked out a deal.
3. TRK Deadwoods - currently in the classifieds. TBD

 

[liftapint]

I almost said that my first to go would be my Empress, just to see what would happen when @Psypher1000 read that.

 

[BGinGA]

Top three keepers?

1. GCOP tournament set
2. 20th Century cash/tournament set
3. unnamed Paulson casino tournament set

Dunno which of those would have to go when I finally get custom CPCs ordered. I'd guess the 20th Century chips, but that would be a really, really, hard decision.

And I guess that leaves all these up for grabs in the meantime:

President Casino Admiral secondaries, Aviation Club de France ceramic hybrids, Casablanca Casino, Paulson Grand Cardroom hot-stamps, Oak Tree Casino, Sunset Junction, Casino Aztar secondaries (MO), Starlite Cruises, Regency Venture Cruise Lines, Four Queens Hotel/Casino, Pointe After Casino, Outpost Casino, Tropicana Casino, and another 50 racks of assorted casino chips.

No, no, no.....I don't think so. Just.Can't.Do.It.

I've already unloaded Terrible's, Par-A-Dice Casino, PCA primaries, Casino Aztar (IN), LeCove, Grand Victoria, Key West, Casino de Mexico, Aruba Palm Beach, The Silks, Fan of Cards, and Speakeasy chips. I miss them all. I swore I'd never sell the Empress Casino and Grand Casino Biloxi sets, but they're gone, too.


Oh, and once upon a time, I convinced the wife that purchasing 1000+ Pharaoh's Club china clays was the last time I'd ever need to buy chips. Same with the Venerati ceramics. That was before any of those listed above came along. Both also gone.

 

[AfterTheFact]

1. Mapes
2. Nevada Lodge/Club
3. Monopoly

4.Vineyards
5.Terribles
6.Casablanca
7. Kings Crown
8. PCA
9. Karl's

list is always subject to change especially since I have a new Cali set inbound today.

Listing Sets that I have sold may make me cry so I'm not sure I want to remember them all. Mostly I regret selling all my Vegas sets like , Horseshoes, Trops, Sundance and Jackpots

 

[Pokerdweebz]

1. Casino Aztar w/ starburst whites (not even a finished set)
2. Majestic's tourny set
3. CC Pharaoh's cash set

4. My huge dice chip collections that I'm too lazy to list on craigslist

I only have 3 real sets and only 1 Paulson set (which isn't even finished obviously)

 

[Irish]

Neat little exercise - here's mine:

Keepers

1. PCNYs - This is my largest (2,000+ chips & plaques) and favorite set by a mile. It can easily cover 95% of the games I host/play or would ever host/play, including single table cash games from 25¢/25¢ to $1/2 NLHE and some smaller limit games, as well as two table T5k tourneys, one table T10k tourneys, and 4 table 1k tourneys. The way I use it, it has a bank of ~$5k for cash games, with the higher denoms used exclusively for tourneys. It's taken several years to fully build up this set and given the way chip availability and pricing have gone recently, if I sold off everything else this would be the one I would keep, even if all the games I host completely dried up. It'll be passed down to my boys one day.



(just realizing that I need to take some more pics of this set, I've added a couple of racks and Matsui plaques since this picture)

2a. Proteges - My 2nd largest set (1,100+), built to cover pretty much any cash game I could ever host (lots of $1s for limit games) with a bank of $12k. I could also use this for one table T1k tourneys. The cigar & snifter mold is my all time favorite of any of the chip manufacturers, I really wish I was into chipping when BCC was churning out sets, I would have liked to get a custom set on this mold. While I could probably shave down the set some, this one will stay in my chip vault purely because the likelihood of being able to rebuild it is all but gone now that BCC has been bought out. Plus the classic colors and simple but elegant inlay design rock. I'd only reconsider this set's place on the list if the mold re-surfaces again in the future.

(no pics of this one yet)

2b. CPC Scroll Mold Teddy KGB Rounders - purchased these last year as part of the "let's get the scroll mold back in action" group buy. I'd been kicking myself for not getting in on the last group by done over at chiptalk (especially when it turned out to be on the roman mold), but it seems that good things come to those who are patient. Getting to use the original rounders artwork was huge, and after playing with this set a few times, the scroll mold is my new favorite CPC mold. This is a relatively small set (500+ chips) that was built to serve as both a one table 10k tourney set or to re-create the head's up match from the final KGB scene in the movie, but I've also used it for smaller 25¢/25¢ and 25¢/50¢ cash games (using the $25s as 25¢, $100s as $1s, etc). I put this set slightly below the Proteges, only because I could technically get this set redone, assuming CPC continues to offer the mold.



(damn, I need to take better pics of this set too, I've since oiled the chips)

First out:

1a. Paulson Private Cardrooms - Cash set capable of covering single table stakes from 25¢/25¢ to a smaller $1/$2 with a bank of $3,500. These were my first Paulsons, and I love both the colors & spots and have a big soft spot for hot stamps. If push came to shove though, given the versatility of my PCNY, I could part with these. But I won't unless necessary. This set is slated to be a nice future gift for one of my boys one day, something like a college graduation or wedding gift.



1b. ASM Black Sands - Another small set similar to the Teddy KGB set, but this one is built for smaller cash games (both in stakes and # of players) - ~550 chips with a bank of $1,800. I use this primarily for post-tourney cash games. I love the theme, design and color matching on the inlay of this set, plus it's my only cali-color cash set. This set is also a favorite of many of my players. Looking to add onto the set to make it more playable for typical cash nights. Again given my PCNY set, this set is technically redundant & expendable - wouldn't want to get rid of it but I could if I had to pair down to 3 sets.



Working two new custom sets, one cash and one non-denom. Assuming I actually get around to getting these made, I think one of them may bump the Rounders set from the keeper to the first out list...

 

[Psypher1000]

How about a photo?

I'd love to, but one of my sets hasn't even been made yet (the order's placed...should be made sometime around March), and the other is waiting for about 1/3 of it's chips to be shipped still.

4. Stardust Mansion Tournament
5. Stardust Casino small cash set

Seeing this is painful, but given your top three, I get it.

Well shoot
But I get it.

My 3 I could never part with...also tough.

1) Nevada Lodge. Not sure why it is about those, but I *LOVE* them

2) Ritz. Need more. I love the oversized chips. I don't love the grand inlays, but with the bright colors and oversized chips, it hardly matters. Wish I could own all of them so I could McDuck.

3) Fitz. The large denomination, awesome colors, minty TRK goodness, Reno casino chips. Yum!

You'd have to work pretty hard to get Trops, Dunes and Emerald Princess out of my mitts at this point too.

Never has your love of TRK scrowns been more evident than this post, me thinks. Sac'ing both Dunes AND Trops for those small crowns...that says something.

2. Cajun Cups - too much history, and so much time and energy spent chasing down the $1s, I don't think I can ever let them go

Had never heard of these before so I went and looked them up. Gorgeous chips! Don't blame you for keeping them one bit.

I almost said that my first to go would be my Empress, just to see what would happen when @Psypher1000 read that.

I'll take the hundos

Top three keepers?

1. GCOP tournament set
2. 20th Century cash/tournament set
3. unnamed Paulson casino tournament set

Dunno which of those would have to go when I finally get custom CPCs ordered. I'd guess the 20th Century chips, but that would be a really, really, hard decision.

Ewww...I hate that decision, too. Any ideas on when you'll pull the triggers on the customs?

And I guess that leaves all these up for grabs in the meantime:

President Casino Admiral secondaries, Aviation Club de France ceramic hybrids, Casablanca Casino, Paulson Grand Cardroom hot-stamps, Oak Tree Casino, Sunset Junction, Casino Aztar secondaries (MO), Starlite Cruises, Regency Venture Cruise Lines, Four Queens Hotel/Casino, Pointe After Casino, Outpost Casino, Tropicana Casino, and another 50 racks of assorted casino chips.

...

One of these days I think I need to see that chip closet. Fair warning: I might not leave.

3. Monopoly

If this would have been lower than 3, we'd have had words.

 

[bentax1978]

If this would have been lower than 3, we'd have had words.

Words, or an offer

 

[Puggy]

Frak! I've already down to just two sets. Actually third is a BCC small hotstamped 200 chips Desert Palms mold set.

I must have lost my mind in the last couple of years.

 

[Psypher1000]

Words, or an offer

Fair point. First an offer, then words.

 

[BiGGyT]

Let's see.

I cannot part with

1) Paulson chips
2) Bud Jones chips
3) Chipco chips

 

[detroitdad]

As long as I don't lose my bankroll in Florida I'll be getting a custom cpc tourney set. That will put me at three. I also want another custom set on the B mold. I have to learn to play better poker first. Or sell the SP chips.......which I keep debating.

 

[David O]

1. ALL
2. OF
3. THEM

 

[BGinGA]

Any ideas on when you'll pull the triggers on the customs?

Probably before the end of the year. I'm mostly waiting on the arrival of the next-great-color-thing from CPC, thus hoping that I won't have to re-do any chips six months later.

I also have a few semi-custom re-label projects I'd like to get completed before then. A massive fire-sale will be required prior to ordering customs too, as I don't plan on investing any additional $$ in chips and the huge set planned will not come with a small price tag.

 

[bentax1978]

A massive fire-sale will be required prior to ordering customs too

dibs

 

[Psypher1000]

I'm mostly waiting on the arrival of the next-great-color-thing from CPC, thus hoping that I won't have to re-do any chips six months later.

*sigh* I figure he'll announce a Paulson-esque daisy/yellow a week after I get this order (not blaming him, of course).

Let's see.

I cannot part with

1) Paulson chips
2) Bud Jones chips
3) Chipco chips

1. ALL
2. OF
3. THEM

BOOOOO!

 

[David O]

BOOOOO!

If I sold the chips that I have and love so much I would be booed at anyway because I would set the price so high I would be thought of as a chip flipper.

So would I sell yes, although I am not sure anyone would want to pay the price to get the Trops out of my hand.

 

[gopherblue]

If absolutely forced to cull my sets? Only three keepers?

Keepers

1. TRK Riverside cash set
2. BCC GCR tourney set (only sold half of it!)
3. TRK [mystery cash set]

So that means that when the zombie apocalypse arrives, the following sets might be in play (unless I used them as shrapnel in IEDs to take out the zombies):

a. PNY cash set
b. TRK Casbah Club cash set (gah!)
c. Empress tourney set
d. TRK mixed casino micro cash set