Record-breaking scenes are always eventful and memorable. Imagine achieving such a record for being driven by a hobby!
Every gambler hopes to win money when playing at a casino. In most cases, breaking the record and featuring in the Guinness World Record is an achievement most gamblers would wish to achieve.
That happened to Paul A Schaffer when he hit the limelight for being the man to collect 2,250 casino chips. Here is the story of Schaffer’s much-awaited dream.
A Dream Inspired by Passion
One of the largest casino chips to have been collected by a gambler happened on 30th September 2023. The Guinness World Record recognition is awarded to Paul A Schaffer from Kansas City, USA.
Schaffer has been a renowned casino gambler since 2004 and has held this record. He has been a member of the National Casino Collectable Association.
In his pursuit to reclaim the recognition, Schaffer broke the record by collecting 2,250 casino chips. He has been managing the coveted items for nearly two decades, and breaking the record was a matter of time.
Finding the chips is a memorable thrill as he travels down the paths to find the suitable chips. For Schaffer, his journey began when going to a casino could cost a dollar to acquire a chip and similar tokens.
Recounting His Journey into Casino Gaming
Growing up in Minnesota, gambling was restricted to adults (18+), and anyone could do it for entertainment. While recounting his desire to collect chips, Schaffer attributes this desire to his wife.
All this began on his 30th birthday when they were with his wife in Vegas City. The intriguing bit was the sight of fantastic chips on the table – the adorning colors and intricate art in casino chips are worth keeping.
Collecting this appeared more fulfilling than purchasing disposable trinkets. It sparked the decision to convert every travel adventure to keeping chips on every casino tour.
Collecting this made sense for the prolific gambler, for he would do something he was passionate about. His first collection was 800 chips from his mother in the 80s from the Silver Slipper Casino.
The 30th birthday remains Schafer’s most remarkable year as he turned one dream into a hobby. He now boasts an incredible world record to his name two decades later.
Why Collect Casino Chips?
Turning a hobby collection into a Guinness World Record is more than a one-day journey. For enthusiasts, it is a hot ticket you would want to achieve.
The 1.0 brown coin inspires the fascination of doing something you like in Las Vegas. However, the favorite of Schaffer’s collection is the 1.00 Christy and Jones purple chip in 1964, a collection from Thunderbird Casino.
The red inserts and purple art are beauties that define the adventure – each chip tells a story. Displaying all the collectibles to dealers who see treasures in the hunt is memorable and awakens the dream of finding new and rare chips.
With many casinos long gone, Schafer notes that the Midwest chips have been the rarest items he has ever found.
Besides finding rare items, Schafer’s other motivation is to preserve the memories of great casinos. For him, no one would know Stardust, Dunes, Desert Inn, and Stardust if he never embarked on keeping the collectibles.
The inspiration is why he has signed up for permanent membership in the CCA (Casino Collectable Association). The organization focuses on preserving the memories of remarkable casinos through such moves.
Making New Histories
Schafer’s desire and record-breaking experience have sparked an enthusiastic community that prides itself in collecting casino chips driven by passion. A notable event inspired by this record was the annual casino collectibles extravaganza.
This planned incident had one primary mission: to collect new $1 chips from preselected casinos. Collecting casino chips is a hobby with a history; hence, it is a memorable adventure he is likely to continue.
According to Schafer, new histories await as casinos still use cutting-edge technology to develop new releases. Even so, old casino operators keep the casino-hunting thrill alive by featuring classic oldies.
Schafer has built a storage unit to preserve the treasures – he stores each chip separately in plastic airbags to avoid contact and damage. Collecting chips is a great adventure and an investment for enthusiasts, and he has a website that shows all his collections.
