Let me add just a little more perspective here though, just beyond some collectors primarily being silver collectors, not silver strike collectors. From my own perspective, I can buy silver a bunch of ways cheaper than by buying silver strikes. Sure, we can pick up a strike here and there for below silver value, but by the time you add in postage, it's pretty marginal. (BTW, I have bought from you before and appreciate the postage built into the price!) The fact that the SILVER strikes are silver gives them a minimum value, but by no means a maximum. I have spent double or triple the silver value for a strike that has, well pardon the pun...struck my fancy. I'm not sure I would have popped $40 bucks though for a brass token with silver plating.

This also lead to another point not yet discussed. Let's leave the "to clean or not to clean" debate out of this right now but there is a great reason to own SILVER strikes beyond HSP strikes. If you are so inclined, a SILVER strike can be cleaned, an oxidized thumbprint can be removed, a scratch can be polished out. You cannot do that to a plated brass coin. Maybe they will triple plate the center with copper/nickel/silver to make it a heavier plate, but it will be tough to "fix" dropped strikes, incorrectly handled strikes, etc.

No matter, we all still have the strikes in our collections, I would guess the secondary market would be great for SILVER strikes . I loved the comment someone made in an earlier post that said they would try some spins on an interesting strike, but not on a boot. I agree they will have to get more creative with the subject material.

I haven't read too many posts from the old time (well 1990's era) collectors...will you guys play the machines or just keep trading older SILVER strikes. The hobby will survive, the strike makers will have to figure out a way to make it so new collectors will play the HSP machines.
Paul SS#1140