As some of you might have already heard, our tables at the convention have been withdrawn. I anticipate many inquiries, so I will summerize the events that have unfolded in the past year.

My husband, Mel, sold brass chips to a chip collector, Dean Porter, who claimed that Mel never disclosed that some of them might be counterfeit. The specific chip in question was a Harrah's $2.50 pink brass core chip. Mel not only told him that no such chip ever existed, he even pointed out and identified Dave Whalen as the person who made it. Dean Porter chose to buy the chip anyway. Dean Porter later filed a complaint with the chip board claiming he was never told that it was counterfeit. Only through the inquiry, did Mel find out that Dean Porter was unhappy with the chip, even though they had talked on the phone and corresponded through email. (Dean Porter even asked me to put aside 40-50 millennium strikes for him, which he never picked up, while all this time, he knew he had filed the complaint.)

Mel was notified about the inquiry by email from the club's claims director; he answered all questions that were asked of him. Through this inquiry, Mel found out that Dean Porter was unhappy with the chip and offered, through the claims director, to refund the money for the chip, but heard no reply. As a result of the brass core inquiry, it came down to one person's word against another, and the board has sided with the complaintant and expelled Mel from the chip club.

Apparently, I have been expelled from the club, too, even though I paid for my own table with my own separate check as the club has withdrawn both of our tables. I will be selling off all of my strikes and, eventually, will have my own collection up for sale. If anyone is interested, I will bring the majority of my strikes and will have them available for sale at the following hotels:
June 2,3 & 4th at the Flamingo Hotel (during the strike tournment), 3-6 pm
June 5 & 6th, at NY, NY, 3-6 pm
June 7 & 8th, at the Rio, 3-6 pm
Please call on the house phone before you come up. I will also have copies of my "Striking Differences, 3rd edition" available for sale. I will also continue to sell my strikes through my web page, http://chippermel.lvha.net until they are all gone.

It has been a fun hobby, and one which I shall miss. But most of all, I will miss all the wonderful people I have met through this hobby. Strikers are a nice group of people; I am proud of the way our strikers chapter has grown and, I'm sure will continue to grow. The strikers chapter has a bright future.

I will see some of you at O'Shea's strike tournament; take care, Lisa