I started collecting tokens in 1983 at the South Carolina State Fair. I took my 2 boys to a vending machine that you would see in a casino. You put in tokens and a bulldozer type device pushed the tokens to a lower level. At the lower level, a different bulldozer pushed the tokens to the front and you collected them when they fell off. The machine kept giving me different tokens from all over the USA and I was hooked.
The past 25 years I have lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia with my wife and 2 sons. They have moved to Illinois and Arizona, married and given me 3 grandchildren each.
Five of my 6 grandchildren have come to one of the AVA Convention. My love is transportation tokens although I also have OPAs, peep show tokens, and tokens and chips from casinos.
I have served as Vice President, NIS Manager, Editor and Past President of the AVA.