Gregg Fischer of Las Vegas is attempting to shatter his own Guinness World Record for the largest collection of $1 casino chips.
Fisher, a member of the Casino Collectibles Association, set the Guinness World Record in October 2020 with his collection of 818 $1 casino chips, each from a different casino. Now, just one year later, his collection has exploded to 2,222 chips, each from a different casino.
The Record-Shattering Poker Chip Collection on Display
Fischer displayed his amazing poker chip collection at Spinettis Gaming Supplies at 810 S. Commerce Street, just half a mile from the legendary Fremont Experience. The display was necessary for the Guinness’ World Record to verify the authenticity of Fischer’s claim.
Following the public viewing, Guinness began an arduous 12-week verification process to confirm Fisher’s poker chip collection is indeed the world’s largest.
Spinettis was an appropriate venue since the Las Vegas gaming supplier also specializes in selling vintage chips, cards, and dice to collectors. The Vegas retailer offers collector casino chips from all over the world, from Africa to Venezuela.
Fischer Keeps Shattering Records
The ardent chip collector first seized the record last October when his 818-chip collection broke the previous record set by Paul Schaffer on June 22, 2019. Schaffer’s collection of 802 poker chips was gathered from 32 different US states.
Schaffer is also a member of the Casino Collectibles Association, and operates Rube’s Casino Chips, selling casino collectibles on eBay.
You’ll be able to see Fisher’s 2,222-chip collection at the 2022 Casino Collectibles Association show. The Casino Collectibles Association is a 501(c)(3) educational organization, dedicated to preserving gambling history. Next year’s show will be held June 16-18, 2022, at the South Point Hotel and Casino.
Casino Collectibles are Surprisingly Popular
Collecting casino chips and other collectibles, such as dice, cards, and other memorabilia, surged in the 1980s. At first, players simply took home chips as a souvenir of their casino visit, but it eventually evolved into a formal form of coin collecting.
Collecting casino chips really picked up steam once eBay came online, and sellers like Paul Schaffer could share their passion. Collectors can typically find more than 50,000 listings on eBay for casino chips.
Casino and poker chips are generally categorized by region, and then by individual casinos. Also, chips are categorized as new, slightly used, average, well-used, poor, canceled or modified, and damaged.
Most casino chips on eBay sell for just $1 to $5. But some are worth much, much more.
For example, in 2014, a $5 chip from the defunct, downtown Las Vegas Golden Goose casino sold for a mind-blowing $75,000. What made the chip so rare and valuable was that the Golden Goose only had a single blackjack table open for less than one year. Also, the Golden Goose was only in operation for five years, from 1975 to 1980.
Likewise, a $5 chip from the old Downtown Vegas Lucky Casino sold for a hefty $52,500. There are only two known $5 chips from the Lucky Casino, which was only open for four years, from 1963 to 1967.
Strangely, Las Vegas Does Not Have a Casino Chip Museum
Las Vegas doesn’t have a casino museum, let alone one dedicated to poker chips.
Museums in Las Vegas:
Mob Museum
Madame Tussauds
Zak Baggin’s Haunted Museum
Erotica Heritage Museum
Hollywood Cars Museum
Las Vegas Natural History Museum
Neon Museum and Boneyard
Pinball Hall of Fame
Nevada State Railroad Museum
National Atomic Testing Museum
But, as you can see, there is not a dedicated Casino Museum. The Casino Collectors Association has been raising money to construct a Museum of Gaming History since 2004 but has not yet reached the goal of opening a full-fledged museum. But, it does appear that the Casino Collectors Association does have a display case within the Neon Museum.
The Nevada Historical Society and the Nevada State Museum maintain various collections and records associated with the state’s gaming industry; the collections include gaming industry artifacts such as early slot machines, neon signs, gambling cheating devices, show-girl costumes, and casino souvenirs. However, there are no permanent gallery exhibits dedicated to the gaming industry.
Casino Poker Chips Bring Back Memories
The value of rare poker chips and other casino memorabilia is secondary to the memories these items can evoke; for the older generation, they can bring back memories of the good old days when the Mob and the Rat Pack ruled The Strip.
As gambling becomes legal across the country and the world, there are many more chips for collectors. Who knows, in a few more years, Gregg Fischer’s record-breaking collection could top 5,000 chips.
