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This Is Where I Complain About GPI (1 Viewer)

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MoscowRadio

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I know that BCC caught a lot of flak for their quality control, but I can't hold it in any more. I hate the fact that GPI bought them out and then moth-balled their machinery. There were some truly epic sets that came out of that factory. GCOPs, Capital Rooms, Duy's Palace, Lady Luck Clubs, Proteges, Mardi Gras, and the list goes on. I still dream that one day I'll be able to use a chip designer with the TFP mold and those incredible TRK colors, but I know it's not happening.

Don't get me wrong: I totally love and appreciate what CPC does, but I do really miss the feel of a good BCC chip.
 
While the quality did seem to suffer a little here and there the sets that I've seen of BCC are absolutely incredible. It's a shame they didn't keep that line going as say a home market being they don't sell home Paulson chips anymore.
 
MoscowRadio said:
I hate the fact that GPI bought them out and then moth-balled their machinery.
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GPI offers a lower-cost Blue Chip line to casinos, made using the old BCC sun mold (which GPI calls the Blue Chip mold). Solids, hot-stamps, inlays, and a very limited selection of colors and spot patterns.
 
BGinGA said:
GPI offers a lower-cost Blue Chip line to casinos, made using the old BCC sun mold (which GPI calls the Blue Chip mold). Solids, hot-stamps, inlays, and a very limited selection of colors and spot patterns.
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I'm guessing mostly smallish/Indian casinos? I don't think I've ever come across them in real casino play.
 
The Blue Chip line is marketed by GPI as a low-cost alternative for no value and low-value casino currency. Available only for denominations $2.50 and below (plus NCV/tournament) in ten colors and seven spot patterns. Chips weigh 8 grams, with 7/8" inlays or gold foil hot-stamps, and the only offered security feature is UV-printing on inlays.

GPI.BlueChipSamples_2.jpg


It's a far cry from the glorious BCC sets of days gone by.
 
MoscowRadio said:
There were some truly epic sets that came out of that factory.
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Brother, I hear ya. Every time I look at some of the mega-threads w/photos of sets from days of yore, I see some spectacular BCC lineups and it just makes me want to punch my monitor. I literally start to get angry that I don't have access to some of those molds/spots/colors, even for harvesting!

Oh well. First world problems. But yeah, I'm with ya.
 
Psypher1000 said:
Brother, I hear ya. Every time I look at some of the mega-threads w/photos of sets from days of yore, I see some spectacular BCC lineups and it just makes me want to punch my monitor. I literally start to get angry that I don't have access to some of those molds/spots/colors, even for harvesting!

Oh well. First world problems. But yeah, I'm with ya.
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I feel fortunate to have a full BCC Mardi Gras V1 cash set and a Cash/tourney for The Capitol Room. Can't say I'd easily part with either.
 
Not to mention that BCC had a 50mm no mold option....

I have two hotstamped tournament sets on the sun mold, Aquasino and Fun Nite chips, the only two sets I have left other than my customs. Hopefully they will never have to leave my possession.
 
Psypher1000 said:
This aspect was unknown to me before, and I find it curious. Was that just to force casinos to use the higher-cost Paulsons for the majority of their chip needs?
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I think it probably has more to do with GPI's inability and/or unwillingness to provide the security features commonly found on many Paulson casino checks..... resulting in cheaper chips for the low-risk currency requirements, which probably complete in the same market price space as lower-priced ICON, GOCC, and other low-end casino providers. No bells and whistles, and not really risking dilution of their Paulson market share.
 
It's just their business model since the early 2000's... acquire the competition and dominate the market.
 
I'm sure I'm in the smallest minority, but I made the choice not to roll the dice on an inlaid BCC set due to the massive QA issues and I don't regret it even the tiniest bit. I do have solid hotstamped cash and tourney sets, but that's about all I would ever trust them to get right (and they still screwed up many of those - including one of the denoms in my cash set).
 
jbutler said:
I'm sure I'm in the smallest minority, but I made the choice not to roll the dice on an inlaid BCC set due to the massive QA issues and I don't regret it even the tiniest bit. I do have solid hotstamped cash and tourney sets, but that's about all I would ever trust them to get right (and they still screwed up many of those - including one of the denoms in my cash set).
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I made the same decision based on the rumors and hints of @abby99's second BCC set. I just didn't want the headaches. Abby never went public with the full story, and I'll bet she never does, but the little bits I heard her share at the meetups definitely scared me away.
 
Chicken Rob said:
I made the same decision based on the rumors and hints of @abby99's second BCC set. I just didn't want the headaches. Abby never went public with the full story, and I'll bet she never does, but the little bits I heard her share at the meetups definitely scared me away.
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Yeah, I have one of their best sets and received one of their worst. I think I posted a brief summary of what happened on CT, but in short, the chips themselves were beautiful but the inlays were printed horribly. I couldn't believe that the person(s) putting the inlays on the chips didn't notice how bad they were. After we failed to reach an agreement, I disputed the charge with my credit card company and BCC sent me a prepaid return label.

Sometimes I wonder what ever happened to those chips.
 
I'm very sorry to hear that, Marsha. I'm completely unfamiliar with the set you received that was poorly done. That's a real shame considering how incredible the BCC Lady Luck Club set came out. Just out of curiosity, do you still have any pictures or information about the second BCC set?

abby99 said:
Yeah, I have one of their best sets and received one of their worst. I think I posted a brief summary of what happened on CT, but in short, the chips themselves were beautiful but the inlays were printed horribly. I couldn't believe that the person(s) putting the inlays on the chips didn't notice how bad they were. After we failed to reach an agreement, I disputed the charge with my credit card company and BCC sent me a prepaid return label.

Sometimes I wonder what ever happened to those chips.
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If the TFP mold could work with CPC chips I would be one seriously happy camper as it would be the absolute perfect mold for the Four Suits chips.
 
MoscowRadio said:
I'm very sorry to hear that, Marsha. I'm completely unfamiliar with the set you received that was poorly done. That's a real shame considering how incredible the BCC Lady Luck Club set came out. Just out of curiosity, do you still have any pictures or information about the second BCC set?
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I have pictures but don't see the point in posting them with BCC out of the picture. Even now I can't bear to look at them.
 
Totally understood. I just was curious as to what design you had come up with since your customs are so stellar.

abby99 said:
I have pictures but don't see the point in posting them with BCC out of the picture. Even now I can't bear to look at them.
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Given how good BCCs could be and the fact that they wanted only $900,000 for the company ("only" being relative in terms of business expense), I sometimes day-dream about buying BCC, locating and permanently fixing all QC problems, expanding the color palette, and adding more options like a 43mm and new molds. Then I snap out of it and realize I missed the boat by several years. :oops: Ah, what might have been...
 
toad94 said:
Given how good BCCs could be and the fact that they wanted only $900,000 for the company ("only" being relative in terms of business expense), I sometimes day-dream about buying BCC, locating and permanently fixing all QC problems, expanding the color palette, and adding more options like a 43mm and new molds. Then I snap out of it and realize I missed the boat by several years. :oops: Ah, what might have been...
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Clay chip manufacturing is EXTREMELY difficult. The model works great for casinos and their volumes but the custom home game market is a totally different animal. CPC has done a great job reviving the old ASM model. As for BCC.. they always put the casino business first.. EVEN when I was their best customer. I was ordering 100k+ chips at a time and they would put my order behind casino runs. What they did make was well below ASM standards.
 
Back in the "clay chip heyday," when ASM, BCC and T.R. King were around, it was my understanding that those companies made home game orders in between their larger orders for casinos or card rooms. Rather than let the equipment and workers sit idle between big orders, they made amazing chips for the home market.

I imagine that from year to year and company to company, the ratio of "casino" to "home market" chips would shift.

When GPI acquired Paulson and moved production to Mexico, they were already well along in their plan to monopolize the casino chip market. I'd say that market today is effectively a monopoly held by GPI. Instead of catering to the home market and all of its hassles, they decided to simply ignore it. In their marketing material, GPI proudly tells their casino-owner customers that they do not make chips for the home market and implies that they never will.

They also never make their chip prices public. One discussion I have had with an industry person about prices and GPI leads me to believe that despite the massive quantities they require, GPI is charging its casino customers much more than many of us think. (I honestly don't think a casino owner or board really cares what the chips cost when they know they'll make back the production cost within an hour of the casino opening.)
 
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BGinGA said:
The Blue Chip line is marketed by GPI....... ten colors and seven spot patterns. Chips weigh 8 grams, with 7/8" inlays or gold foil hot-stamps, and the only offered security feature is UV-printing on inlays.
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I wonder what they seem to be "leaving out" of the clay mix, to have them at 8gr. Weren't even the regular BCC's around 9gr?
 
TheChipVault said:
Clay chip manufacturing is EXTREMELY difficult. The model works great for casinos and their volumes but the custom home game market is a totally different animal. CPC has done a great job reviving the old ASM model. As for BCC.. they always put the casino business first.. EVEN when I was their best customer. I was ordering 100k+ chips at a time and they would put my order behind casino runs. What they did make was well below ASM standards.
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No argument from me on any/all points. There's no doubt that chips are not just a business or science, but an art form. I guess I just like daydreaming about running a chip company because, well, I like chips. (Same reason I daydream about owning a casino.) But if someone asked, "Do you know how much work goes into running a company and that even the most loved hobby can be ruined when it becomes your method of putting food on the table?" Yep, I sure do. That's why it stays a daydream. ;)

I'm VERY stoked that CPC is here. After the fiasco of nefarious Dr. Ott I figured custom chips were history. And even as much as I love CPC, I wish BCC and TRK were still around for the same reason I'm glad Aston Martin, Cadillac, and Chevy are around--if you like cars it's a good thing to have all three types (of style, price, finish, QC, exclusivity (or lack thereof), design, engineering, etc.) available. (y) :thumbsup:
 
toad94 said:
No argument from me on any/all points. There's no doubt that chips are not just a business or science, but an art form. I guess I just like daydreaming about running a chip company because, well, I like chips. (Same reason I daydream about owning a casino.) But if someone asked, "Do you know how much work goes into running a company and that even the most loved hobby can be ruined when it becomes your method of putting food on the table?" Yep, I sure do. That's why it stays a daydream. ;)

I'm VERY stoked that CPC is here. After the fiasco of nefarious Dr. Ott I figured custom chips were history. And even as much as I love CPC, I wish BCC and TRK were still around for the same reason I'm glad Aston Martin, Cadillac, and Chevy are around--if you like cars it's a good thing to have all three types (of style, price, finish, QC, exclusivity (or lack thereof), design, engineering, etc.) available. (y) :thumbsup:
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I certainly vote for TRK.. for whatever reason.. I have just recently come to appreciate TRK's work.
 

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