I have read with great interest, and must say amasement, at many of the recent posts speaking negatively of the new $200 strikes and their limited issue amounts. These new strikes have put a new spark and interest in collecting silver strikes that I haven't seen since O'Shea's came out with their first tournament, their newly marked limited editions including their two limited editions of 50 pieces each.

This hobby can get a little bland and blase when a strike is an a machine for a year or longer and literally anyone has the chance to win one or many. One aspect of interest to collectors is the ability to aquire any collectible that is rare, difficult to obtain, and everyone and their brother dosen't have one of. It is this rariety that collector's seek and here the casinos are giving us what we WANT.

The statement that Dealer's are manipulating and "driving up" the price of this new $200 strike is totallly out of line. How many $10 strikes as anyone seen that are limited to 125 or 150 pieces and they SELL for 1.75 FACE or $17.50? That's right; a $200 strike selling at $350 is ONLY selling at 1.75 times face! Compare that to an O'Sheas Donkey lmtd to 125 that recently sold on ebay for $399 or 39.9 TIMES FACE.

The dealers don't "set" prices on collectibles. Collector's pay what they feel the collectible is worth, especially in an auction.

WAKE UP COLLECTORS and fully understand the real value these new $200 strikes have. Everyone that has complained about these new strkes (selling at 1.75 times face) has paid at least 50, 100 or MORE times face for some of the strikes in their collections.

If I have EVER seen a WIN-WIN relationship in any collectible, this is it. The casinos are moving volume of strikes making the program profitable for them. The dealer(s?) are making a modest profit for their efforts helping collector's not living within a 3 hour ride of Vegas the opportunity to obtain a rare strike. Collectors are winning by purchasing such a rare strike at such an inexpensive price.

I am thrilled to see such a welcome turn of events in this hobby especially at a time when collecting was becoming way too easy!