Luxury wooden chess set - do you own one?

Hello everyone,

I wonder how many of you own a wooden luxury chess set and how much did you feel comfortable spending on it?

I currently have a $50 wooden chess set, but I think it's time to upgrade. I'd also like to have the chess set displayed as a piece of "art" in my home office. :)

Thanks.

Moved to Chess Books & Equipment

I mean luxury purely by price. I'd consider a luxurious chess board anything that costs over $200, for example. My max limit that I'd be willing to spend on a chess board is probably at around $600.

I already have an online store where I sell luxurious leather goods (not from big brands, but from local artisans), and since I'm passionate about chess, and I know a couple of highly skilled woodworkers, I'm toying with the idea of creating my own chess set. I'd then set up a store for selling it, too.

For me, it's a real joy when I can combine passion and business, and when I see people loving the products that I sell.

I do not have any sets that are considered "art". 

I have a set that runs in the $400US range, not sure if that would be considered "luxury". It is a beautiful set, perfectly weighted, a pure joy to play with. I do not display it though as I do not want it sitting out when friends bring their grandkids over, don't want to risk it getting damaged. 

How much someone feels comfortable spending is purely subjective, as I feel comfortable spending upwards of $500US on a set, others here have no problem spending more than that, while still others see $500US and choke. 

You need to decide how much you feel comfortable spending and then look for the best set you can get in that price range. 

I own this luxury, or high end, set and plan to buy another. I paid about $270, it was on sale. This is the first set I've purchased in years and the only one I have at moment. I use it but I also consider it a piece of art. I get a lot of enjoyment from it. https://www.chessbazaar.com/chess-pieces/luxury-chess-pieces/the-sher-e-punjab-series-chess-pieces-in-ebony-wood-box-wood-4-6-king.html 

luxury

: something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary

No one needs an expensive set to play chess. A $30 set would suffice. Paying several times that would certainly qualify as luxury.

I've got some and mostly they stay packed away.  A little 12" magnetic set I paid Amazon $20 for is about all I use.  I don't regret buying them though.  When my mother was sick, I needed something to keep my mind occupied and scouring Ebay for chess bargains each morning did the trick.  "Retail therapy" is the pop psychology term I believe...

Not yet, but I'm saving  Thing is, I only want to buy one once, so I'm taking a long time to choose to make sure I'm happy with it for years.

I only own 2 chess sets one is a lightly weighted set with a folding board. It's quite nice and pieces are made from boxwood and kariwood and the board is inlaid with walnut and maple. It came with a lovely case to store the board and chess pieces and cost around £60. To me that is my 'luxury' set. The other set I own is a plastic weighted set and a silicone mat which cost £20. This is the set I'm using to study from. The other one is to play for pleasure although I enjoy using both.

That's what I said and now I've got two and possibly a third on the way

Yes, I have a large very nice wood Staunton set and board, but seldom play on it.  I guess I don't play on it to much because the board and pieces are a little too large.  My go to board is a metal Staunton set with a smaller board.

Wow, that is a beautiful board Charles.  Mine is not so luxurious after all. 

Wow, those pieces are amazing.   That's definitely 2 thumbs up Bro.

Luxury chess set might be good for display and decoration as it is delicate and gets damaged easily during playing chess games. Solid economy chess sets is what I prefer for playing.

I play my computer and follow games of masters etc so my lux set is fine for that. 

@Rsava

I think that a $400 chess set is luxurious, for sure. I know that it's a subjective thing how much someone is willing to spend, but I'm interested to know, what's the price range of luxurious chess sets that are owned by the users of this forum. I too would not keep a $400 chess on display with kids around.

@Brynmr

A very nice set! I too think that such a luxurious set is basically a timeless investment.

@sound67

All chess sets that are somewhat more expensive are probably by default high-quality, made out of quality wood, and the the chess pieces probably aren't "stock". So, as soon as something is priced premium, it must be special, otherwise nobody will buy it.

@low_hanging_fruit

It's the same for me. I only plan to buy a luxury chess set once and keep it for life.

@CharlesWaldrop

Now that's luxury.  Very nice.

@SpanishStallion 
True, but maybe that adds some "character" to it. It's like with real leather bags/backpacks. They will certainly get "scars" one way or the other, but as long as the bag is kept in great condition, it's not a big issue.

"All chess sets that are somewhat more expensive are probably by default high-quality, made out of quality wood, and the the chess pieces probably aren't "stock". So, as soon as something is priced premium, it must be special, otherwise nobody will buy it".

That pretty much makes perfect sense to me.