Poker chips are popular collectible items among casino and card-game lovers. Certain brands of cigar, cigarette, beer and whiskey products have also used poker chips as marketing and advertising tools. Such items are naturally favored by collectors of poker chips, while also attracting collectors of breweriana and tobacciana.

High-quality poker chips have been the standard in fine casinos everywhere. At present, poker chips are commonly manufactured in plastic and clay or acrylic composites, although they have also been made from other materials before. Their original purpose is to provide poker players with a simple method to keep track of winnings, but among collectors their purposes may vary.

In the United States, clay poker chips were used during the 19th century. Nowadays, clay poker chip sets are highly popular and hard-to-find collectible items, which may reach quite high prices. Due to the fragility of original clay poker chips, these are currently made from a durable high-impact polymer. Clay poker chips are also known as professional poker chips, as most casinos employ their own, featuring house designs and logos.

If you are a serious home-game poker player, you probably use composite metal core poker chips. These are durable and heavy chips which can feature a customized stamp or decal. Most of these poker chips are being manufactured in Taiwan and China. Whether they favor composite metal or clay poker chips, collectors should not underestimate the importance of poker chip cases. Any collection of poker chips requires an adequate case to provide it with desired levels of protection and security.