Dale Seymour
Deceased
Dale Seymour is an educator and publisher of education materials. He liked to play black jack and to collect things, and began collecting chips in 1970. He would go to flea markets frequently to pick up old, inexpensive game pieces (spinners, dice, pawns, etc.) to help in designing games for the classroom to teach math concepts. Seymour began to wonder when the pieces were made, who made them, whether there were more different designs, and if so, how many.
Seymour’s interests centered around old poker chips, especially ivory and mother-of-pearl chips, of which he has what is likely the most extensive known collection. He has also collected virtually every type of gaming chip, including tokens, spielmarks, Siamese ceramic pieces, and old vintage casino chips.
His academic curiosity led Dale to the conclusion that if the chips could talk, they would have fascinating stories to tell. Ultimately, after advertising in Antique Trader and receiving numerous responses, he realized that there was a need for more information on these, so the idea of putting together a book for collectors was hatched. It took many years and thousands of hours to put together the first edition of his book, Antique Gambling Chips, now recognized as the first book ever published, solely devoted to collecting gaming chips. The book is now in its second edition.
Dale, who is now retired, lives with his wife in northern California.
Dale was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998
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