COLLECTING CHIPS: We’ve had a habit over the years of collecting things. Nothing significant, just the usual cards, ticket stubs and souvenirs, which naturally include a few casino tokens.

Of course it’s all neatly hidden away in various boxes, cupboards, drawers, nooks and crannies so when we want to find a certain item it’s usually a matter of luck and much searching.

But after browsing through the catalog of the upcoming (May 22) Political and Americana Auction that will be conducted by Heritage Auctions, we’ve decided it might be worth the effort to find those gaming chips.

There are 53 lots of tokens in the auction and one featured item is a Sands $5 chip circa late 1950s that requires a minimum bid of $22,000. The catalog states the estimated value is $30,000-plus. That’s not chump change!

While most of the lots are tokens from the 50s and 60s, there is a $1 TraveLodge chip circa 1980s with an estimated value of $400 to $600 being offered. The minimum bid is $425.

Interest in chip collecting has increased greatly in the last 20 years thanks in large part to Casino Chip & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club, which will be holding its annual convention next month at South Point casino (June 23-26). The club was responsible for establishing the current grading system as the official standard used worldwide. It was also instrumental in getting Heritage, the world’s third largest auction house, to include casino tokens for the very first time.

It’s also exciting that you can participate in the auction online (www.HA.com) so there’s not need for travel.

One way to find out what your chips might be worth, is to check out the two widely accepted published price guides – The Official U.S. Casino Chip Price Guide and The Chip Rack. The Guide covers chips from casinos in Nevada, Atlantic City, Colorado, Deadwood, South Dakota and various riverboat casinos. Chip Rack covers over 900 Nevada casinos and lists more than 29,000 tokens in its upcoming 12th edition, which will be available next month.

But it would be more fun to go to the CC&GTCC show. The showroom is open to the public June 24, 25 and 26. Admission is only $10, and if you wait until the 26th you can get in free.

There’s a good chance we will be looking through several boxes and drawers over the next few weeks.

GIANT SIZE: Thursday evening found us at Hash House A Go Go dining with friends Kevin and Renata Insalata who flew in from Chicago for a few days. Kevin is also a former employee from the Sports Form days so we enjoyed reminiscing about old times.

Known mainly for its breakfasts, Hash House also serves lunch and dinner, referring to its meals as "twisted farm food." The food is basic, but the portions are nothing short of astronomical. It is served on platters big enough to hold a 12 pound turkey so if you decide to go, make sure you’re hungry. We barely put a dent in our Farmer’s Pasta, which included a large piece of chicken, spaghetti, potatoes, barley, vegetables and an ear of corn all covered in a delicious broth. When we got home we divided the leftovers into two portions for the freezer.

Although we dined at the West Sahara Avenue location, Hash House also has a restaurant at Imperial Palace on the Strip, which opened earlier this year.

WE HEAR Lou DeGregorio of DEQ/DP Stud is on safari with friends in Africa looking for big game. Happy hunting, Lou.

See you around town.