Casino chips ahoy!
More often than we’d like to admit, we journalists head out to stories with a certain idea in mind of what we’ll write, what will happen, what types of people we’ll meet. And never is that more typically the case for me than when I head out to some unusual convention or event in Las Vegas to cover, whether it be the Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament or the celebrity impersonators convention. If it’s risen to the level that I’m writing about it for a national publication, it’s probably got some sort of weirdness factor that fits the image of Vegas that my editors have.
Such certainly was the case earlier this month as I headed to the Casino Chip and Gaming Token Collectors Club confab at the Riviera, host of many an oddball convention. What, my Chicago Tribune editor wondered, did people do at such things, sit around and show each other their collections?
And yet, something interesting happened not long after I arrived: I totally got it. Sure, I started out thinking that I was going to have to feign respectfulness and empathy with those who dedicate their free time to the accumulation of casino currency, but within a few minutes of interviewing the first guy -- a former coin collector -- I understood.
Perhaps it’s because I, too, love Las Vegas, casino culture and its legacy. But collecting casino chips suddenly made a lot more sense than, say, collecting Precious Moments ornaments or Starbucks mugs. Each of these items represented an actual artifact from a specific moment in time, be it a prizefight in Atlantic City, Al Capone’s underworld Chicago clubs or the Stardust’s demolition. Their value was traced to their rarity or their historic importance, and owners who appreciate them do so because they have read up on the stories behind their origin.
I also had no idea what great variety of chips existed, nor that most collectors don’t just grab anything out there. Some collect only chips with flowers on them, others certain animals, other specific jurisdictions or denominations. “There is so much out there that you either go broke or go crazy or both if you try to collect everything that ever was created, so I backed off," said Chuck Tomarchio of Joliet, Ill., who only has 8,000 chips.
Plus, there weren’t just casino chips. A whole room was opened up for a few hours so three collectors of paper goods could show off a stunning collection that included matchbooks, sugar cubes, coasters, old Wayne Newton show tickets and much more. See my pictures of some of those items here, here, and here.
Not surprisingly, I did end up buying a couple of things. Among all the chips, I spotted a fantastic music box -- pictured here -- from the 1991 opening of the Stardust tower. It even plays "Stardust." The seller had wanted to sell it for $25 and started a silent auction with bidding beginning at $5, but he kept it too silent. When I came along his deadline had passed and he let me have it for $5! I snagged it ostensibly for my mom, who collects music boxes, but I think I may keep it for myself after all.
My other treasure was a June 1955 Life magazine that is constantly referenced whenever people ask if Vegas is hitting its outer limits of growth. As seen here, the main art is of a Moulin Rouge showgirl but in the upper right corner of the cover is the headline "Las Vegas -- Is Boom Overextended?" That was 52 years ago. The guy had five of them, each going for $25. I bought three, including one for the LVRocks.Com studio where I do my podcasts and one for an as-yet-determined friend or professional contact. I'll sit down to read the stories later and let you know what I uncover.
As I was leaving, a lady from the convention stopped me.
“Please turn in your media badge,” she said sweetly.
I asked her if I could keep it.
“Why would you want it?” she wondered, baffled.
I collect media badges. I have hundreds of them on special hooks in my office. They represent many of the amazing stories I’ve covered, from covering the 1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago to Celine Dion’s opening night in Vegas and everything in between.
“Well,” she said softly, “I’m not supposed to let you leave with it. But it sounds like you’re one of us, so okay.”
Indeed, in one way or another, aren’t we all one of them?
Steve Friess is a Vegas-based writer who contributes regularly to Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Times, Vegas and many others. Contact him at [email protected]