Fractionals:

So, you've begun collecting Casino Chips, and have come to the obvious conclusion that there's no way you can get say a $1 or $5 chip from every Casino that ever was. Don't laugh. Alot of new collectors think it's possible when first starting out. You now have a slew of chips from various locations, but no context to your collection. It's time you focused on a collecting genre'.

Might I suggest, Fractionals.

Fractionals are those funky chips that come in denominations from 1cent up to $8. Yes, $8 dollars is a fraction of a $10 chip. Once you start focusing on Fractionals, you're gonna see some pretty unusuall chips come to surface, as well as some very rare and collectible ones.

Fractionals transend the chip community in that they have been issued by most Casinos, Riverboats, Cruise lines, Native American Gambling Establishments, Foreign Casinos, etc...

Fractionals tend to be "Hot-Stamped" though there are a few fine examples that have had inlays. The Mint .25, and a California Club .25 come to mind at the time of this writing. Fractionals also have a tendency to sustain alot of wear, as they are "pricey" to produce and the establishments that are still using them tend not to order new shipments. These establishments also frown upon you pocketing a few "Souveniers!"

Fractional collectors also seem to have a tendency toward Geographical areas for their collecting base. Small Town Nevada is very hot, and will continue to be so as these clubs are not ordering anymore. Next comes Vegas, Tahoe, Reno and Laughlin. These are followed by the California Card Club collectors and the Pacific NW collectors. Native American and Riverboats fall next. There is a new interest forming in the Cruise Ship Category for fractionals.

Unfortunatelly, Fractionals are going the way of Slot Tokens into extinction! The only fractional I see hanging on is the $2.50 (Snapper). Fractionals are a piece of Gaming history, and should be held as such.

A Word of Caution:

Only believe about 5% of the hype you hear about Fractionals. Sellers will tell you how great this chip is, how rare it is and that it has a rating of (xx). They are just trying to sell the chip. Do a closed search in say eBay, and make notes. Some fractionals are very rare, and deserve a high price tag, but in my opinion, most are just hyped up.

Hope this helps!

Badger1602