Grading ruined the coin hobby. It is now common practice to break out coins and have them re-graded and the companies doing the work are happy, because they get more business.

Coins in the slab have also been over graded, which really sticks it to the buyers who assume it's going to be authentic and more valuable with a grade on it.

Meanwhile someone can look through the slab and see it's over graded, but if it's out of the slab, you could get an even better chance to examine something.

At first it created a rise in prices (dealers love this) then the prices dropped (owners hate this) The people who want grading and slabbing for casino collectibles are just in it for the money and have no concern for anything but what they can bleed from the buyers, before moving on to some other hobby, to try and milk more collectors.

Yes, authentication is a good benefit, but the grading companies do not back up their grading. Most dealers have a disclaimer that says in effect there is no guarentee, because it's based on the grading company opinion.

In other words, you pay for a nice protective case, the cost of having it put in that case, and receive no concrete gain for the added expense.

In at least two instances the grading company (trading cards) was affiliated with the producer and the dealer of the same cards. Fox watching the hen house, come to mind. Or maybe conflict of interest!

The same holds true for every other hobby that has been infested with grading and slabbing. The only people who want it are the graders, because they make money encasing whatever it is, and the speculators who can demand a higher price for something with the appearance of authenticity and quality.

Since it's already in the coin hobby, I wouldn't cricize John, it's a fact of life.

Why would we need to authenticate and grade a casino token, chip or strike? Telling if it's real is easier when it's out of the case, and since it's not coinage and not subject to the strict quality standards of the mint, who cares. Strikes already come in a case...

By the way the CS00 on the chip from the link that Tom provided, is nothing more than a sample slabbed chip, that was handed out when the grading companies were trying to break into the casino collectibles hobby.

Small matter, but for a coin, it's already happened and if one looks at the effects, results and how it has hurt the hobby, they will see why it has no place in casino collectibles.