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TopSchelph

TopSchelph

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What does it mean for chips to be “leaded?”

I’m beginning a quest to build/buy/create a cash set for myself and am new to the idea of purchasing previously used chips.

It seems like this is a positive characteristic.
 
It means the clay literally has some lead in it, which makes it heavier and handles differently; some people claim they are also more durable compared to the modern non-lead clay.
 
really-heavy-amazed.gif
 
The progression (usually) goes dice chips -> china clays -> non-leaded -> leaded Paulson -> leaded TRK.

Throw CPC or ceramics in there somewhere, and then there's different mold from the same manufacturer...
 
Leaded chips usually have a lot of the other properties that chippers love:

- Shaped inlays
- Textured inlays
- Heavier
- Great feeling shuffle/sound
- History (from a casino)

Notice that most of these properties are just correlated with having lead in the chip, not caused by having lead in the chip.
 
UniLover said:
The progression (usually) goes dice chips -> china clays -> non-leaded -> leaded Paulson -> leaded TRK.

Throw CPC or ceramics in there somewhere, and then there's different mold from the same manufacturer...
Click to expand...
Put up a poll. There’s no way the community puts leaded TRKs above leaded Paulsons. Their edge spots are modest and lame.
No
Way
 
LowerBama1714 said:
Yup…it’s a question of taste. More people (probably) like the taste of creamy leaded paulsons.
Click to expand...
Well since there are far more leaded Paulson owners than leaded TRK owners, it’s kind of a cheat - of course Paulson would win the poll.
And leaded TRKs are cool AF - nothing feels quite like them.
Honestly I’d be fine calling them 1a and 1b or saying that they’re equally great.
But if people want to argue which is better, come at me bro. TRKs are smaller, their mold is boring, and yeah, their edge spots are dainty. Sorry.
 
upNdown said:
Put up a poll. There’s no way the community puts leaded TRKs above leaded Paulsons. Their edge spots are modest and lame.
No
Way
Click to expand...

LowerBama1714 said:
Yup…it’s a question of taste. More people (probably) like the taste of creamy leaded paulsons.
Click to expand...

upNdown said:
Well since there are far more leaded Paulson owners than leaded TRK owners, it’s kind of a cheat - of course Paulson would win the poll.
And leaded TRKs are cool AF - nothing feels quite like them.
Honestly I’d be fine calling them 1a and 1b or saying that they’re equally great.
But if people want to argue which is better, come at me bro. TRKs are smaller, their mold is boring, and yeah, their edge spots are dainty. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Wow pretty touchy here about leaded Paulson vs leaded TRK.

There are a lot more Paulson available than TRK, and the prices reflect that.

Therefore I said USUALLY that's the progression when people BUY chips.

Do most people buy Paulsons before they buy TRKs? That's my guess.

Did I say TRKs are better than Paulsons? No. I'm actually thinking about selling my leaded TRKs.
 
UniLover said:
Wow pretty touchy here about leaded Paulson vs leaded TRK.

There are a lot more Paulson available than TRK, and the prices reflect that.

Therefore I said USUALLY that's the progression when people BUY chips.

Do most people buy Paulsons before they buy TRKs? That's my guess.

Did I say TRKs are better than Paulsons? No. I'm actually thinking about selling my leaded TRKs.
Click to expand...
My bad. Yeah I am touchy about TRKs. They’re great, just not better. But I would love a set.
 
Creamy Paulsons
UniLover said:
Wow pretty touchy here about leaded Paulson vs leaded TRK.

There are a lot more Paulson available than TRK, and the prices reflect that.

Therefore I said USUALLY that's the progression when people BUY chips.

Do most people buy Paulsons before they buy TRKs? That's my guess.

Did I say TRKs are better than Paulsons? No. I'm actually thinking about selling my leaded TRKs.
Click to expand...
I didn’t mean to give the impression that I give a shit. I simply like to be a part of the conversation and put forth my worthless (I mean that) opinion.
 
Lead was phased out of the chip formulas starting in the late 90s. So another reason they’re desirable is their vintage - I don’t think casinos were as large as they are now so the quantities produced were lower hence rarer.
 
Term is not defined; there are several discussions about it on the forum.
It is normally used in reference to Paulson and TRK chips.
To some, leaded means weighted.
Others just use the term (incorrectly, imo) to describe older Paulson/TRK chips.
Lead content varies in chips (and is also believed to vary by color) and no one is quite sure of the exact amount of lead content.
Below is some general info for Paulson chips believed to be accurate (but not set in stone):
Paulson lead content:
- pre '98 most colors were 47% lead (by weight)
- '98-'06 most colors were >1% lead (except for 7 colors which were still the old 47%)
- post '06 basically zero lead
Officially, the colors that still had 47% lead between '98-'05 were:
Blurple, Day green, Fuchsia, Indian Blue, Metallic Gold, Metallic Silver

Some chips, like Empress Casino Joliet, IL, have leaded an unleaded versions of the same denomination chips.
Example:
Empress $100, the LCV version is leaded, the SCV version is not leaded
Leaded:
1715221212808.png

Unleaded:
1715221196163.png


These are not authoritative statements, just some info gathered over the years.
So what does the term leaded mean?.. well, different things to different people.
Good luck out there :tup:
pics courtesy of the chipguide
 
Some older clay chips were weighted with a lead slug in the middle - you can see it under the inlay. I don’t call those chips leaded, but some people seem to.
 
Tonysquander said:
The guy who started the thread I am linking to below was somewhat trolling but, if you ignore his comments and look at the other responses, there is a wealth of information on the topic

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/what-is-the-allure-of-leaded-chips.103309/
Click to expand...
From the guy who started the thread that you linked, It really wasnt meant to be a troll, but rather to point out what many are again stating here. Leaded chips are simply chips from an era where some clay formulas contained lead. Shaped inlays, Age, Rarity, Weight, Nostalgia, etc. are also desirable characteristics associated with that era, but not necessarily with Lead. an 11 oz chip is 11 oz whether its weighted with lead or brass, and though they may feel, sound or smell slightly different the weight is exactly the same.

To the OP, most people on this site will agree that VG -Mint Paulson or TRK chips from the leaded era with shaped inlays are at the top of the food chain for collectibility. Figure out what characteristics appeal to you the most and then seek advice on your best options.
 
I appreciate everyone's input...just trying to figure out where/how to start.
 
upNdown said:
Put up a poll. There’s no way the community puts leaded TRKs above leaded Paulsons. Their edge spots are modest and lame.
No
Way
Click to expand...
Sorry my friend, but I think your crack pipe sprung a leak....LOL. But I suspect you knew that. ;)

Although, I would be interested in a poll. You might be right, but that also might be influenced by the rarity of leaded TRKs with many peeps never handling them. Pure speculation on my part though.

LET THE POLL BEGIN!!
 

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