Gambling Collectibles Are a Sure Thing

Most of us have at one time or another gambled on something whether it is the blackjack tables, slot machines or lottery tickets. No one wins all the time when gambling unless you are betting on collecting items surrounding the fun past time.

One of the most collected items is $1 and $5 chips from the casinos. Age is important and chips from the 1940-50s usually go for the most money. Chips from casinos that no longer exist are also quite valuable. Limited edition chips can also bring in big bucks. A Dunes casino $5 chip from the 1950s is valued around $200. Most rare $5 chips range from $75-$100 and $1 chips from $10-$50.

That doesn't mean you should not bring home a $1 or $5 chip from the next casino you go to. If you are interested in collecting casino chips, grab one from everywhere you can. Check out eBay as people sell them from all over the world. Be careful to check out all the ones available for selling and choose the best deal. At one time, I used to sell $5 casino chips from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun for $10 to people all over the world. Now, you can usually get a $5 chip from a casino still in existence for $6-$7 plus a small shipping charge as more people than ever sell them.

In the 1920s punchboard became very popular. For 5 to 25 cents you took a chance to break a hole in a punchboard with your finger and could win up to $100. Today, unused punchboards range from $20-$200 in value. Most available were made in the 1950s and were found at bars, grocery stores, tobacco shops and five and dimes. Many were used as fundraisers. Graphics on the punchboards are important as erotic photos and sports related themes are most popular.

Another hot gambling collectible is playing cards. You can collect decks featuring almost anything from automobiles, airplanes, horses, dogs and scenery.

Some people purely look for casino decks which were used in the casino. Used casino decks have a small hole punched in them or a piece chipped from their corner. Most are made be Bee or Bicycle. Nowadays you can find them at casino gift shops, but it is the older ones where the money is. Some 1950 decks from Las Vegas are valued between $150-$200. It is important that the deck is complete with at least one joker. Older playing cards from the late 1800s can be valued at close to $300.

There are also plenty of miscellaneous casino items that are valuable. Advertising brochures can range from $5-$150 depending on age and rarity. Ash trays featuring casinos that no longer exist can go for $10. Chip racks can range from $50-$200. Used dice are also collected and range from $5-$50 on average. Postcards featuring casinos from the 1950s are worth around $10 apiece. Shot glasses can range from $2-$50 depending on the casino.

It doesn't matter the item as much as what casino the item features. So don't overlook any vintage related casino collectible.

Most of all have fun with it. It can become a hobby that really is worth a bundle of cash.