I have quite a few cheap plastic sets but the only wood one I have is the HOS Fischer/Spassky 1972 set, so maybe I'm not the one that should be answering this. I'm not really that particular about plastic or wood, to me, it's all about the weight of the pieces. So it's all the matter of your personal taste than anything else. 
-Mark
I was going to say plastic until I saw the pics. But I love the international set from HOS. If it's for tourneys go plastic, at home with friends and family the wood set. But this is coming from a guy who doesn't have a set yet and I want to buy both of those sets from HOS that you have pictured 
It depends on how the plastic set is weighted.
As others have indicated, the weight is important. All else being equal, I generally much prefer the look and feel of wood over plastic.
The exception to the "look" is sheesham wood, or the so-called "golden rosewood." There is nothing "golden" about it. It's a peculiar color, difficult to decribe; cheap looking, dull, lifeless, excremental. To my taste, it's too light for the black pieces. In fact, at least one company is selling sets with sheesham pieces as the white pieces, and ebonized (stained) boxwood for the black!
If the choice is limited to the two sets in the OP, (particularly if the wood set had golden rosewood pieces), I might have to go with the plastic or do without. I prefer the design of the plastic set shown. I can't stand the design of that wood set -- too cheap, and clunky to the point of distraction. If it's for tournement use, I'd still go with the cheaper set.
Personally, if it's for home use, I'd shell out at least ANOTHER twenty bucks for the "Grandmaster" set (or try to win something nice a bit cheaper on eBay).
Some years ago, never mind how long precisely, having little or no money in my purse...
I purchased a budget wooden set and found it wasn't to my tastes...
didn't look great, the weight wasn't right etc.
What I'm trying to say is, a good plastic set is more pleasurable to play with than a cheap wood set. On the other hand, good quality wood pieces are worth shelling out a bit more for, even if only for their aesthetic value.
Well played brilliant boy.
Both of those are HOS, and my understanding is that the plastic set is well weighted. I bought the wood one pictured a couple of years ago and the knights, in particular, have bothered me ever since. But, at the time, I really wanted wood.
I have that plastic set in 3.75"--it is nicely weighted and a fine set, good enough for all occasions. Too good to drop on concrete though.
To fill out the hypothetical, for hazard duty a cheap, solid plastic set--perhaps weighted--is preferred.
I also have a wooden knockoff of that solid plastic USCF set--weighted at 32 oz. In boxwood and ebonized boxwood, it is less than superb but excellent for everything except being a show piece. Just $30 a few years ago.
For that price, in such a universally accepted design, it's hard to beat.
The "Grandmaster" set:
Note -- the current set is not quite as nice as shown. The knights are similar, but a little less well carved, and the details in the queens' crowns are less sharp and regular. Still a nice set for the money.
The "Grandmaster" set:
Note -- the current set is not quite as nice as shown. The knights are similar, but a little less well carved, and the details in the queens' crowns are less sharp and regular. Still a nice set for the money.
Now this looks like the sort of chess set I would buy :)
I love wooden sets - had a nice one when I was a kid. If you are serious about wanting to improve though you have to use the same one that clubs and tourneys use. In Scotland this means the £5 plastic one - pattern recognition is everything.
I have to have both wood and plastic and have several sets in both. My nicest wood sets never get used because I dont want to risk damaging them in blitz which is hard on sets and clocks ! I used to take a cheaper wooden set to tournies which was already damaged some when I bought it used and its the only wood set I have that I will also use for blitz. The nicer plastic sets are more practical and great for blitz as well as tournies imo. I only use my nicest wood sets for analysis and slower/casual games, which isnt often. So, if you can afford to do so I would say to get both but if you can't then you should go with the more practical ( for you ) choice.
Another point to consider is do you have animals? In the past I have had a dog who loved to chew anything that would fit in his mouth and cats that love to play football with pieces and hide them all over the house. An expensive wooden set is out of the question for me nowadays...
While the knight isn't my cup of tea, this matte-finished ebonized boxwood set seems very practical. S. Polgar used to sell them years ago.
HOS has a nice plastic set made for Polgar. It looks really nice and I wanted to buy a set but they only have the unweighted in. Reasonable price. Really like the matte finish
I want to back-track to Bur-Oark's comment.... "excremental"???? Jeepers, I hope I never buy something that could be classified as excremental!
Anyway, my comment is that wood ages, plastic doesn't. Plastic is great for every day use and many fine sets are available. However i have a wood set which I obtained in the 1960's and as the wood has aged the bishops are curving slightly so the set is taking on an appearance you would expect to see in a Van Gogh painting. It's really cool and beautiful. This effect will never happen with plastic.
So wood in my mind is much nicer but not so practical. Buy according to your planned use.
I have an issue with the shape and proportions of the Queens pictured in some of the preceding posts. In the OP, the plastic set Queen is much shorter than the King, I prefer the height in the wood version. In Goldendog's picture, look how narrow the Queen top is, narrower than the Bishop in fact. Most people pay attention to the Knights (the level of detail) and that is important too. But if the manufacturer screwed up the Queen design, the set is shot, IMO.
Anyway, my comment is that wood ages, plastic doesn't.
...
So wood in my mind is much nicer but not so practical. Buy according to your planned use.
Plastic ages, too.
How much wood will (or will not) change depends on several factors: Wood selection (uniformity, straightness of grain, cut.); Proper drying between harvesting and manufacture; Proper storage in subsequent years. Most change is the result of shrinkage, and most shrinkage occurs when the wood is newer. After decades, the contents of the cells have virtually crystallized, the wood stabilizes, and with proper storage hardly changes at all. That's why a violinmaker I know refuses to use wood that hasn't been properly air dried for at least ten years, and would prefer something closer to forty years, if he could get his hands on it. There are a lot of violins made in the 1600's and 1700's that are still in use today.
Plastics may become more brittle with age, depending on composition. I have seen improperly stored plastic sets that have "warped" far more than wood would. Plastic is durable when new, but has not been around long enough to fully compare with wood, but who cares? It's cheap and replaceable.
I prefer the look and feel of wood, but like others, will not expose a nice wood set to abusive handling.
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Hey -
Totally hypothetical, but wondering whether you'd rather have a cheap wood set or a nice plastic set for a budget chess set. First pic is the wood set, second is the plastic set. 15 bucks more for wood.
Thoughts?