Introduction
Online chess stores play an important role in sustaining the global chess community as they enable chess players to access essential chess equipment and learning resources so that both chess players and chess enthusiasts can improve their skills and enjoy the game wherever they reside. Online chess stores also play a key role in promoting chess and providing support for the global chess community which is essential for the future growth and development of the chess community and the chess industry. In this article i will highlight some of the best online chess stores and provide information on the history of their stores, their available products and services, their customers experience, their trustworthiness and reputation and much more. I will also explore their main strengths and weaknesses.
Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games is a family run online luxury game store that was founded by Geoffrey parker in 1958. Geoffrey Parker Luxury games began as a producer of leather poetry books and leather literature books and later pivoted into producing luxury leather chess sets, backgammon sets, poker sets, scrabble and monopoly sets, garden games, and custom game tables. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games is well known for producing the highest quality products from the finest materials that are handmade by highly skilled designers using both traditional and modern design methods. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games products are sought after by many of the most prestigious companies and individuals around the world because of their exquisite craftsmanship and their innovative designs. Some of the brands that have commissioned Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games to create products for them include Asprey, Dunhill, Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Garrard, Simpson’s, Smythson, Cartier, Fred, Stevie Wonder, The Mandarin Hong Kong, The Intercontinental Group, The Singapore Polo Club, The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, Tiffany’s, and countless others. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games has been passed down from father to son for three generations starting with Geoffrey Parker, to Max Parker, and presently to Elliot Parker whilst keeping the brands focus on designing products that are of the highest quality, that highlight the exquisite craftsmanship of their designers and whilst also taking advantage of and spearheading market trends.
Store history
Geoffrey parker was founded in 1958 by Geoffrey Parker and the business started as a producer of leather poetry books and leather literature books. A few years later in 1961 Geoffrey Parker received a commission to produce a chess set by Richard Dunhil, the president of the Dunhill brand, which served as the catalyst for Geoffrey parker Luxury Games expansion into the traditional games sector. Geoffrey Parker also produced and introduced the first leather backgammon set to the Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games catalogue in 1961. Geoffrey Parker continued to produce luxury leather board games and by the early 1970’s the Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games brand established itself as one of the world’s best luxury board game suppliers in the world. Geoffrey Parker’s success in the luxury board game sector caught the attention of numerous prestigious organisations and in 1972 he was commissioned to create the leather boxes and chess boards for the legendary Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer world championship match which took place in Iceland. Geoffrey Parker also produced backgammon sets for the 1974 world backgammon championships featuring Claude Beer and Philip Martyn. Geoffrey Parker’s son, Max Parker, joined the company in 1977 after working in the workshops and gaining experience in the day to day running of the business during his school holidays. The onboarding of Max Parker into the family business coincided with a time of great expansion for Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games and the brands emergence in the United States. Geoffrey and Max Parker attended numerous book seller’s conventions in the United States to promote their popular leather bounded books and chess sets which caught the attention of multiple bookshops, museums, and libraries who purchased many of their book collections and chess sets. From 1977 through the early 1980’s numerous popular brands partnered with Geoffrey and Max Parker and featured their book collections and chess sets in their stores which includes brands such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman as well as many others. After securing a stronghold in the United States Geoffrey and Max Parker then travelled to the Far East where their skills in crafting luxury goods were sought after by brands such as The Mandarin Hong Kong, The Intercontinental Group, The Singapore Polo Club, and The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. In Europe and America popular brands such as Willard Hotel, Le Grenouille, The Connaught, Grosvenor House Hotel, The White Elephant Club, and Hotel De Paris Louis XV also sought their expertise in the luxury goods sector and commissioned them to create various products. By the end of the 1980’s Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games’ new mission was to expand the business into the corporate sector which resulted in many of the commercial giants such as BP, Motorola, Conde Nast, Aston Martin, and Jaguar Motors commissioning them to create ranges for their brands. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games also opened their first retail store in the Golden Triangle of luxury shopping in Beverly Hills during the end of the 1980’s which allowed them to gain invaluable insights into the needs of their customers and which lead to the expansion of their product catalogue by introducing games such as Scrabble. During the 1990’s Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games received multiple commissions to create luxury games for organisations and high-profile personalities such as the Smithsonian Institute, The Royal Vintners Company, The Royal Academy, Queen Elizabeth II, Crockfords, The Ritz, Aspinalls, Les Ambassadeurs, as well as many others. Geoffrey Parker retired from the business during the mid 1990’s and passed the management of the business over to Max Parker although he still contributed to much of the designing of products during his retirement. One of Max Parkers first executive decisions as the leader of the company was to close the Beverly Hill’s store to focus on the core business which was the manufacturing of luxury leather products, during this period in the stores history Max Parker also introduced luxury versions of Mah Jong, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, and Cluedo, giant carpet dominoes, and Frisbee a few years later. The late 1990’s was as busy as any period for Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games as commissions to create luxury games by prestigious brands continued to pour in from the likes of Dr Aldo Gucci, the chairman of Gucci, Tiffany’s, Venice Simplon Orient Express, and Formula One. Geoffrey Parker passed away in 2000 and left the business to Max Parker and his son Elliot Parker who currently runs the company.
Product selection and quality
Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games has a wide range of high-quality luxury gaming products that cater to the tastes of chess players of all ages and levels of experience. The products that are available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games include chess sets, chess boards, chess pieces, chess storage boxes, chess clocks, backgammon sets, poker sets, scrabble sets, monopoly sets, roulette sets, Mah Jong sets, bridge sets, tic tac toe sets, garden games, game tables, and custom game sets.
Chess sets available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Luxury Staunton chess sets, children’s chess sets, Lord of the Rings chess sets, modern chess sets, super luxury chess sets, Bedouin chess sets, travel chess sets, combination chess and backgammon sets, and Maldives chess sets.
Chess boards available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Staunton chess book box and boards and luxury leather chess boards.
Chess pieces available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Giant chess pieces, luxury metal chess pieces, and traditional chess pieces.
Chess storage boxes available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Luxury chess set and storage boxes, Staunton chess book box and boards, silver jubilee chess cabinets, exotic watch trunks, watch trunks, Alligator watch trunks, and exotic dressing cabinets.
Chess clocks available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Luxury leather chess clocks.
Backgammon sets available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Luxury leather and metal backgammon sets, roll up travel backgammon sets, luxury Alligator leather backgammon sets, limited edition mother of pearls backgammon sets, full leather backgammon sets, bridle hide personalised backgammon sets. Roll up backgammon sets, compact travel backgammon sets, bridle luxury tournament backgammon sets, automotive custom backgammon sets, leather and acrylic backgammon sets, leather backgammon and checker stones, inlayed travel backgammon boards, luxury slate travel backgammon sets, luxury travel backgammon boards, backgammon doubling cube, water snake backgammon sets, mid green bridle hide leather backgammon sets, limited edition bridle hide backgammon sets, small backgammon sets, super enriched backgammon boards, protective quilted backgammon bags, racing green carbon fire backgammon sets, leather and wood backgammon sets, carbon fire backgammon boards, acrylic backgammon doubling dice, backgammon dice cups, tournament backgammon sets, tournament size brown bridle backgammon sets, tournament size grey backgammon sets, exotic water snake backgammon boards, Burr walnut wooden backgammon sets, travel backgammon and chess sets, bridle hide tournament backgammon sets, challenge backgammon sets, chess and backgammon attaché, mustard table top backgammon sets, luxury small backgammon sets, acrylic backgammon checkers, billiard cloth backgammon sets, and carbon fibre backgammon tournament boards.
Poker sets available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Alligator poker sets, luxury poker sets, custom poker chips and roulette chips, luxury magnolia poker sets with brown suede, marine blue leather and slate suede poker sets, Bordeaux leather and black suede luxury poker sets, ebony black luxury poker sets, marine blue leather and marine suede luxury poker sets, poker chests, poker cards, poker dealer buttons, poker layouts, Swarovski and alligator luxury poker sets, poker blind buttons, poker accessories, and playing card sets.
Scrabble sets available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Custom scrabble sets, luxury scrabble sets, and grey luxury scrabble sets.
Monopoly sets available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Hand embossed custom monopoly sets, alligator monopoly sets, custom monopoly boards, and personalised monopoly boards.
Roulette sets and accessories available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Roulette wheels, roulette accessories, custom poker chips and roulette chips, roulette drums, Maxx luxury roulette tables, and luxury 8 games roulette tables.
Mah Jong sets available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Luxury Mah Jong sets.
Bridge sets available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Bridge sets, bridge accessories, playing card sets, and gold and silver card sets.
Tic tac toe sets available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Luxury calf leather tic tac toe sets.
Garden games available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Garden games hampers, garden skittles sets, croquet sets, super enriched croquet sets, and boules and pentanque sets.
Game tables available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Retro games tables, piano black luxury poker tables, 8 game roulette luxury games tables, luxury casino tables, zebrano poker and blackjack tables, Maxx luxury multi games tables, Maxx luxury roulette tables, 3 luxury games multi games tables, luxury games tables, multi game coffee tables, American walnut 7 games tables, and 33 multi game tables.
Custom game sets available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Custom backgammon sets, custom chess sets, custom scrabble and monopoly sets, custom games tables, custom poker sets, custom roulette sets, custom blackjack sets, custom garden games, and custom Mah Jong sets and card games.
Other games and accessories available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games:
Domino box sets, domino and cribbage sets, game cubes, children’s multi game cubes, parlour games sets, trivial pursuit, cluedo, distillers and vintners, blackjack sets, blackjack dealer shoes, corporate presentation boxes, and multi game plinths.
Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games customer service and customer experience
The Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games customer service team can be reached by phone, mail, and email, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (Greenwich Mean Time) and they are happy to help customers with any issues or queries they may have such as product related questions, assisting with returns and exchanges, assisting with website navigation issues, or any other issues that customers may have. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games has a small number of online reviews on sites such as trustpilot.com however the majority of Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games’ customer reviews are positive with 75% of their reviews being 5 stars and 25% of their reviews being 3 stars. Customers that have shopped with Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games and left 5-star positive reviews online have expressed their satisfaction with the high quality and beautiful craftsmanship of their products, the fast response times of their customer service team and the helpfulness of the Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games customer service team. The customers that have shopped with Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games and left 3-star reviews have also expressed their satisfaction with the high quality and beautiful craftsmanship of their products however they have expressed their disappointment with their customer service teams poor communication. Overall, most of the customers that have shopped with Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games seem to have had much more positive experiences than negative experiences as they also have practically no reviews that are under 3 stars after being in business for over 60 years.
Trustworthiness and reputation
Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games is one of the pioneers of the UK online chess industry that has served the chess community both in the UK and around the world for over 60 years. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games ranks highly in the scale of trustworthiness. Some of the main reasons for their high level of trustworthiness includes their long history of serving the chess community, their high percentage of positive customer reviews and their strong relationship with some of the most prestigious brands and individuals in the world. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games has worked with brands such as Cartier, Tiffany’s, Dunhill, the world chess championships, the world backgammon championships, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifths Avenue, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, The Mandarin Hong Kong, The Intercontinental Group, The Singapore Polo Club, The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, Willard Hotel, Le Grenouille, The Connaught, Grosvenor House Hotel, The White Elephant Club, Hotel De Paris Louis XV, BP, Motorola, Conde Nast, Aston Martin, Jaguar Motors, The Smithsonian Institute, The Royal Vintners Company, The Royal Academy, Crockfords, The Ritz, Aspinalls, Les Ambassadeurs, Venice Simplon Orient Express, Formula 1, Ralph Lauren, Fred, Asprey, Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Garrard, Simpson’s, and Smythson, and some of the high profile individuals that have commissioned Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games includes Queen Elizabeth II, Dr Aldo Gucci, Paul Magriel, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Schumacher. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games has built a strong reputation for supplying high quality luxury products and for providing customers with a high standard of customer service during their time in business and is one of the most popular luxury online games stores in the world because of this.
Pricing and affordability
Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games has a wide range of products that cater to the taste and budgets of game enthusiasts with a desire for high end luxury products. The chess sets that are available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games are priced as low as 1,415 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 50,000 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess boards are priced as low as 780 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 4,880 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess pieces are priced as low as 195 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 63,000 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess storage boxes are priced as low as 1,415 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 25,390 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess clocks are priced as low as 420 pounds. The backgammon sets are priced as low as 575 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 250,000 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The poker sets are priced as low as 3,100 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 64,000 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The Scrabble sets are priced as low as 1,135 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 3,850 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The Monopoly sets are priced as low as 1,090 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 700,000 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The roulette sets and accessories are priced as low as 3 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 36,750 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The Mah Jong sets are priced as low as 3,750 pounds. The bridge sets are priced as low as 500 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 1,115 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The Tic Tac Toe sets are priced as low as 290 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 300 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The garden games are priced as low as 2,250 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 5,275 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The game tables are priced as low as 16,680 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 37,875 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The custom game sets vary in price depending on the specifications of their design however the generic custom game sets are priced as low as 1,025 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 12,400 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. Lastly the other traditional games that are available at Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games are priced as low as 515 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 45,100 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum.
Available Payment methods
Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games accepts numerous payment methods which includes Credit and Debit Cards, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
Shipping, cancellations, returns, exchanges, and delivery performance
Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games ships both nationally and internationally to over 200 countries around the world using signed for delivery methods. All orders that are placed with Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games will require a 50% deposit and the remaining 50% of the cost of products will be required before orders are dispatched. Some items on the site requires payment in full before orders can be processed such as stock items and items that are held in stock however some items that are not mentioned may also require full payment before orders can be processed and Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games reserves the right to determine at their discretion which items will require a deposit or full payment before they can be processed and dispatched. International orders may be subject to additional shipping costs which are the responsibility of the customer due to fees such as customs duties and import taxes that are required to facilitate international deliveries. Customers are advised to familiarise themselves with the specific laws of their countries such as the gambling laws as some items may be considered as gambling products and may be prohibited in some countries and denied entry. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games does not offer returns as many of their products are custom made and cannot be resold in most cases. All custom orders are designed according to the wishes of the customer and customers will be notified at each step of the design process. Customers will be issued with a final design mock-up via email before custom orders enter the production stage so that customers can address any issues beforehand such as misspellings and the accuracy of any artwork provided. Customers can cancel orders however cancelled orders are not refundable if the order has already gone into production. Orders that are cancelled and have not yet entered the production stage may be eligible for a partial refund however the decision to partially refund orders are at the discretion of Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games. Customers that wish to cancel orders must do so as soon as possible to increase their chances of receiving a refund. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games has strict quality control systems in place to ensure that customers receive their items in pristine condition however if orders are received in less than satisfactory condition customers are advised to email the Goeffrey Parker Luxury Games customer service team with a photo of the issue so that they can rectify the issue. In the event that customers wish to return an item customers must email the Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games customer service team and approval items must be shipped in the same way as it was delivered and in the same condition it was received in. If the original or sufficient packaging is not available customers must email the Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games customer service team so that they can provide replacement return packaging as Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games aims to ensure their products are handled with as much care as possible especially during the delivery process when shipping items as well as when items are being returned.
Website navigation and mobile friendliness
The Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games website is easy to navigate, intuitively designed and mobile friendly with easy to identify product categories, a search bar that’s located at the top right corner of the website which can be accessed by clicking on the magnifying glass symbol and which enables customers to search for specific products and a footer menu that’s located at the bottom of the website which enables customers to find additional information such as the contact us page, the terms and conditions page, the cookies policy page, and the terms of use page. Links to the Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games social media profiles can also be found within the footer menu section of the website. On mobile and tablet devices clicking on the hamburger menu that’s located at the top centre of the website displays the different product categories as well as a link to call the Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games customer service team. On desktop devices hovering over the product categories that have a dropdown menu such as the custom commissions category will display the different subcategories within it. The Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games website is as easy to navigate on mobile and tablet devices as it is on desktop devices, and it has clear and vivid product photos and comprehensive product descriptions which enables customers to access all the information that’s needed to make well informed purchasing decisions. The Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games website is also secured with TSL/SSL encryption which protects customers sensitive information such as credit card numbers and passwords that are used on the site from malicious entities online. Overall, the Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games website is easy to navigate, intuitively designed, secure, mobile friendly, and well stocked with a wide range of high quality and luxurious products.
Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games strengths and weaknesses
Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games main strengths are their intuitively designed website, their wide range of high-quality and beautifully crafted gaming products, their worldwide shipping capabilities, their bespoke product services, their helpful and supportive customer service team, their quick response times, and their high percentage of positive customer reviews. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games also has a strong relationship with some of the most prestigious and well known brands and personalities as well as a long history of serving the gaming community around the world. Whilst Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games has many strengths it also has some weakness which if addressed would greatly improve the shopping experience for both existing and future customers. Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games main weaknesses are their lack of customer reviews which can make it difficult for customers to determine how trustworthy their store is and what experience past customers have had whilst shopping in their store, the absence of live chat which makes it difficult for customers to correspond with the Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games customer service team in real time, and a limited number of payment options which may prevent some customers from being able to purchase from their store. Overall, Geoffrey Parker Luxury Games is both a trustworthy and reputable online game store as well as being a pioneer of the online chess industry with a wide range of high-quality luxury products.
Conclusion
Online chess stores are an essential part of the chess industry, and they play a crucial role in sustaining the global chess community as they enable chess players to access essential equipment and resources that will enable them to improve their skills in chess however not all online chess stores are made the same as some are clearly better than others. In this article i have highlighted 25 of the most prominent online chess stores, each having defining characteristics. Some online chess stores specialise in supplying high end chess products, some specialise in supplying chess products for professional chess players, and some specialise in supplying chess products for chess players for all ages, tastes, budgets, and experience levels. Whether you’re a professional chess player in search of a chess set that’s suitable for practice sessions, a chess set collector in search of unique chess products, or a chess enthusiast in search of a high-quality chess set, this catalogue of online chess stores will enable you to find the perfect online chess store.
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