Hi Archie,

Of course the sword cuts both ways. There have been times when I'd jumped on purchasing an item because it was initially hard-to-find only to see it be mass produced and available much cheaper later on. Other times I decided to wait on getting an item because I thought the price was too high. I figured I'd pick it up later at a discount only to either never see it available again or finding it at 100 times the amount I could have originally bought it for when I first came across it. Yes, "Monday Morning Quarterbacks" exist in hobbies, too!

Of course my complaint about opportunists extends beyond the lower food chain predators which hire flunkys. It was also aimed at casino management. Those places which fall into "killing the goose that laid the golden eggs" syndrome. Just because you have the -ability- to release "Secretaries Day 2001" casino chips doesn't mean it's a good idea. At certain point a special limited release stops being special. While there will continue to be people who chase the carrot, others will catch on to the scam and realize their best interests aren't as important as the bottomline profit.

Glut of repeated themes or limited ideas in any hobby is the kiss of death. Even though people are largely resistant to change, it's that change which continues to create interest.

You should always collect what you like for the sheer enjoyment of it instead of the anticipated monetary gain. I've always kept my job and my hobbies separate. I need something to escape to when work begins to wear me down. Making your hobbies your job leaves you no where to go to get away from pressures.

I received a couple of e-mails asking if I was getting out of silver strikes or if I had a huge stash of extras due to the auctions I'm running this week (that's a plug to see below). The answer to both questions is a 100% "no".

I'm currently raising money for a film project (nothing to do with casinos). Since it's something I'd enjoy doing I decided to let go of some duplicate silver strikes I had on hand for trading purposes. Many of the auctions are for the only extras I have available of certain mint marks and designs. When they're gone I've only got the ones in my private collection which aren't for sale or trade. I'm hesistant on letting the Gold Coast Interim "S" series go because I know it's a sleeper. Any coin collector knows that a mint mark on a penny can mean a great deal. At this time, I don't believe many silver strike collectors realize this fact.

My pick for the most unknown future? The Bellagio "Chinese New Year"! Currently it has the following things going for it: (1) It's from a very well-known casino, (2) It's a very beautiful design, and (3) The production was unexpectedly short. What will make all the difference in the world is if an identical or simply image-reversed style is ever minted. This year was the best shot at passing off the dragon image as a snake. Will Belagio and Anchor Gaming say "screw it" and release another dragon on near future Chinese New Years? Will the casino follow the California zodiac lead and create a design for "Year Of The Horse" next? The currently unknown decision would mean the difference of a few hundred dollars!

The loss of a few extra silver strikes is tempered by my anticipation of working on a cheap sci-fi movie with people who have had a cult following since the 1960s. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of a cheezy film like the ones I grew up watching on TV and in the theaters. I couldn't imagine more of a "Twilight Zone-ish" feeling. What better way to absorb the cost of doing something you enjoy than by raising money specifically from a hobby you enjoy? It all seems quite secular.

KINGDINOSAUR