Hi King; My compliments to you for a very well thought-out reasonable post. One thing I've learned from my years of involvement in this hobby, and in others.... is that unless one has very "deep pockets" with no regard for how much aquiring a particular item costs.... there will always be someone who will out-pay, out-bid, out-manipulate some one else in order to obtain something they can't live without.

I've learned some time ago that I can not own every single chip that is issued in Atlantic City ... nor will I pay the prices asked for chips that I do not own. So my advice is to live within your means and enjoy your hobby without attempting to own everything that is available. There are so many other alternative items that are available at reasonable prices that will provide one equal enjoyment and satisfaction in ownership. If one falls in with the "gotta have it now" crowd, there is nothing wrong with that... just be prepared to pay top dollar to have it. Somewhere along the way, we will discover that we can live without it.