Introduction
Chess board sets are essential for playing chess however many people adore chess board sets for more than just their use in chess games. Chess board sets vary in price and appearance and many chess board sets are designed to be more than just a necessary component of the game but to also double as a work of art or an item to decorate the house with. The attention to detail that some of the artists and designers have put into to the creation of some of these chess board sets has had a major impact on the outlook many people have on chess board sets and home décor. Today chess board sets are in the homes of many who although may not be chess players or even chess enthusiasts love the aesthetics of the chess board. The popularity of tv series like the queens gambit has also been instrumental in further increasing the fondness many people around the world have for chess and the chess board set.
Historically playing chess was reserved for the wealthiest, most knowledgeable and most powerful individuals in the world leading to chess becoming synonymous with these terms. The rich history of chess and the high status and high culture that has been associated with chess for the longest of times has led to the idea of having a chess board set in the home as almost representing high fashion and a symbol of status. Chess is one of the most inexpensive pastimes one could spend their time playing as the price and quality of chess board sets vary greatly with the cheapest chess board sets costing $10 or less. However chess board sets can also cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands even millions in some instances depending on the quality and value of the materials used leading to many people collecting and even investing in chess board sets for the expected gain in capital appreciation.
Are Chess Board Sets Valuable?
The value of a chess board set is largely based on the value of the materials used to make the chess board set. Chess board sets can be priced anywhere from $10 dollars and under to hundreds of thousands even creeping into the millions of dollars in some instances. The most valuable chess board sets are typically made of precious metals like gold and silver which tend to rise in value over time making some chess board sets an investment or store of value.
Whilst chess is one of the least expensive pastimes one could take up there are many chess board sets that are not only extremely valuable but increase in value as they age. Throughout history chess board sets have been found to be made of materials such as Ivory, walrus teeth, precious metals like gold and silver and more commonly available materials such as wood, stone, glass and common metals to name a few. The introduction of the industrial revolution and the ability to mass produce chess board sets usually of wood and plastic has resulted in chess board sets being readily available and easily accessible for reasonable prices. The most expensive chess board sets usually takes months to years to produce making them extremely rare and difficult to acquire. Chess board sets whilst being essential to playing chess are seen by many as works of art and are frequently used as items of home decoration because of their beauty and elegance.
To add to the list of impressive attributes of the chess board set many of the priciest chess board sets that are bought are coveted for their intrinsic value which can rise significantly depending on the economic environment. In times of economic downturns many investors turn to assets like gold and silver to store their wealth and protect their livelihoods. Although the prices of precious metals can be volatile at times fluctuating within various price ranges overall the value of precious metals are much more stable than other assets like stocks making precious metals the asset of choice for investors in search of financial safety. Instead of investing in regular gold and silver coins and bullion some investors prefer the aesthetics of a golden chess board set as it can function as an investment, an entertaining pastime and also an elegant piece of home décor.
Do People Collect Chess Board Sets?
The hobby of collecting chess board sets is not just limited to chess players there are many people that collect chess board sets that have little if any interest in the game of chess. Antique and limited edition chess board sets can be extremely valuable and in many cases can be sold for many multiples of the initial buying price. Many chess board set collectors recognise the opportunity for a significant return collecting the right chess board sets can provide.
People have been collecting chess board sets for generations and most of the time chess board sets are passed down to the younger generation by way of inheritances. Other collectors of chess board sets are either chess players with a general interest in chess or investors in search of a store of value with the opportunity to see a strong return. Chess board sets that are either an antique or of limited edition are favoured the most by collectors as they have the highest potential to rise in value and can be acquired for a fraction of the price they will ultimately end up selling for. There are dozens of chess board set manufacturers that have seized the production of their chess board sets which has greatly increased the expectancy of their chess board sets to rise in value over time. It’s difficult to know when or if a chess board set manufacturer will be discontinuing their chess sets and so acquiring such a chess set in the majority of cases is a matter of being at the right place at the right time and luck.
On the other hand antique chess board sets and luckily even some limited edition chess sets can be found at places such as antique shops, garage sales and other locations where people sell their belongings to other people. These provide some of the best opportunities for collectors to acquire a rare chess set for the best price as most of the time these chess sets along with many other valuable antiques are sold for fractions of their actual worth. Knowing the history of the chess board set your interesting in buying is important when shopping for valuable antique chess board sets. As with any investment it’s always important to do your due diligence and have a thorough understanding of the implications of your decisions. Having a good understanding of the chess board sets history backed by thorough research is the best way to ascertain the value of an antique or limited edition chess board set. The most modern and aesthetically pleasing chess board sets can be bought online with ease however the most valuable chess board sets in most cases can only be found in antique shops or by chance as they’re often passed down to family members as inheritances.
How Much Should I Pay For A Chess Board Set?
Prices of chess board sets vary greatly and the type of chess board set you need depends primarily on whether you want to play casual chess or whether your looking for a work of art to decorate your home with. Casual chess board sets can cost anywhere from $10 –$100 whilst chess board sets for investment and home decoration purposes can cost thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions in some cases.
Deciding what type of chess board set to get is largely a matter of preference and the mass production of chess board sets has made it extremely easy and inexpensive to acquire a chess board set. The cheapest chess board sets are great for everyday use and casual play however they tend to lack durability and break after a few months of wear and tear. Good quality chess board sets may cost more but tend to last much longer and are generally better equipped to withstand everyday wear and tears which in most cases will both save you money in the long term and the stresses of frequent trips to the shops or to online stores. For chess players it’s a good idea to have both an inexpensive chess board set for everyday use and also a good quality chess board set for decorative and or investment purposes. Collectors of chess board sets can find high value chess board sets that are fairly inexpensive for under $1000 at antique shops and garage sales and they can also buy investment class chess board sets at various online stores.
The importance of the quality of the chess board set that’s used when playing chess applies mostly to chess players in championship games as championship chess board sets are made from the best quality woods and are crafted by some of the best artists in the world adhering to the strictest design requirements. Championship chess board sets are also fitted with electronic trackers in order to track the moves the chess players make during the game and chess clocks so that the time it took the chess player to make a move can be recorded. Championship chess sets are among the priciest type of chess board set and can cost up to $500. Overall the price you should pay for a chess board set depends on whether you just want to play casual chess, whether your training for a championship game, whether you’re in search of home decoration, collecting chess boards or Investing and each will determine the price range of the chess board set you should buy.
How Do You Know If A Chess Board Set Is Valuable?
Some of the signs that may indicate your chess board set might be valuable is the materials it’s made from, the age and history of the chess board set and the aesthetics of the chess board set. Historically chess board sets have been commonly found to be made from materials like Ivory which tends to warp and oval with age although this disfiguration may ruin the aesthetics of the chess board set it by no means impacts the value of the chess set and can even add authenticity and a greater perceived value.
Determining the value of a chess board set is contingent on several factors as there are many things that can add or deduct from the value of a chess board set. Some of the things to look for when assessing whether you have a valuable chess board set is the materials the chess board set is made from. Chess board sets that are made from precious metals like gold, silver and others like platinum have an intrinsic value that’s based around the purity and weight of the precious metals in addition to the artistic value of the individual chess pieces. The most valuable pieces in every chess board set is the queen and the knight as these are the most decorated of all the chess pieces and so require extra care to produce with an emphasis on detail because of this the queen and the knight also take the longest to produce further adding to their value.
Championship chess board sets are typically made from wood and are usually fitted with electronic tracking devices in order to track the moves of the players during games. There is much emphasis placed on the details of the chess pieces in championship chess sets especially the knight and the queen. The artist that make championship chess sets have to adhere to strict guidelines when making chess board sets and the individual chess pieces in order to prevent chess players mistaking one chess piece for another during high profile championship games. The level of detail of each chess piece and the high quality wood used to create championship chess sets along with the status of having a chess set that was used in a championship game makes championship chess board sets among the most valuable chess sets you could own. In addition to all these factors championship chess sets are typically favoured among collectors for all these reasons and can become extremely valuable over time.
One of the most important signs of a valuable chess board set is signs of warping as many ivory chess board sets tend to warp and become disfigured as they age. Ivory is one of the most common materials used to make older chess board sets and can be an indication that a chess board set has a rich history. Ivory has historically been a fairly expensive material reserved mostly for the creation of small and fine luxury items and has been in high demand since the 15th century up until the 20th century. The heavy burden placed on the Elephant population for the purpose of extracting their tusks for ivory has had a dire effect on the elephant population which has unfortunately added to the rarity of ivory and which has further increased the demand for Elephants. The rarity of ivory is also another reason for the high value placed on it. An ivory chess board set purchased during the 15th to the 20th century would have been quite expensive and would cost considerably more today than it was originally purchased for.
What Is An Expensive Chess Board Set?
An excellent example of an expensive chess board set would be the pearl royale diamond chess board set costing upwards of $4 million dollars. The pearl royale diamond chess set is made of 18k white gold, pearls and 510K diamonds and took over ten years to produce. The pearl royale diamond chess set was completed in 2021 and has since been one of the most expensive chess board sets to be produced in the 21st century.
Chess board sets are typically valued based on the materials used to produce the chess set in addition to the time and effort the artist has put into producing the chess set. Creating the pearl royale diamond chess set took 10 years and was an extremely costly endeavour costing millions to source the materials and produce the end product. The pearl royale diamond chess set was created by the Australian artist Colin Burn and was designed to be the worlds most beautiful chess board set with hopes that it would be used during a championship game which came to fruition when Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana introduced the pearl royal diamond chess set during the 2021 FIDE world championship games. There are many factors that contribute significantly to the value of the pearl royale diamond chess set namely the precious metals contents and the diamonds and pearls however the added fame from being used during the FIDE world championship games may have increased its value significantly.
The pearl royale diamond chess set is a one of a kind with only two original versions ever being made making it extremely rare and a limited edition. The case of the pearl royale diamond chess board set is an excellent example of just how luxurious a chess set can be and just how expensive some chess board sets can be to purchase. Unlike antique ivory chess sets that although may be extremely valuable warp and become disfigured over time chess sets like the pearl royale diamond chess board set should last in good condition for considerably longer. The pearl royale diamond chess set is unlike most other chess board sets as it also took over ten years to produce whilst most other chess board sets can be made in a few weeks to months. Since the creation of the pearl royale diamond chess board set there has yet to be another chess board set created of such high quality and the introduction of the pearl royale diamond chess set has set the standard of how aesthetically appealing and expensive chess board sets can be and also how long they can take to produce.
Conclusion
Although chess is a fairly inexpensive pastime and buying a chess board set doesn’t have to cost a fortune some chess board sets really do cost a fortune to acquire. There are many chess board sets like in the case of antique chess board sets that may be extremely valuable as a collector’s item but has sold for fractions of it’s actual worth. Knowing the history of a chess board set is important to be able to accurately assess it’s authenticity and determine a reasonable value. Chess board sets that have been discontinued by their manufacturers can also be extremely valuable and similar to antique chess sets they are usually bought for fractions of the price the end up selling for. In many cases being fortunate enough to find such a chess set takes a certain degree of luck and due diligence to be able to recognise such an opportunity. For investors and collectors there are numerous stores that sell premium high quality chess sets that are of investment grade and have the potential to rise in value in the future.
Overall there are chess board sets for all purposes whether your playing casual chess, training for a championship game or investing and collecting for the long haul. Chess board sets can be worth a lot of money but buying a chess set can be as inexpensive as buying a coffee in most cases. For most people a casual chess board set is all that’s needed to play however for some people a chess set like the pearl royale diamond chess set would better suit their needs. Throughout history there has always been a strong association between chess, wealth, knowledge and power and it wasn’t uncommon for the royal and noble chess players of the past responsible for the high regard we have for chess today to have chess board sets that would rival the pearl royale diamond chess set.
