Holden Art Magnetic Chess Set?

Does anyone have experience with this Chess set? http://www.holdenart.com/Default.asp

It's gotten a lot of good reviews on Amazon.

It looks smart, but when unfolding (opening the box), the pieces fall off. The guy in the video has a good grip, yours will be nothing like it.

It's a bogus product. Unusable for transport as the magnets are not strong enough to keep the pieces in the box. The box has huge cutout holes (funcioning as handles, riiiight), when a piece gets loose you will lose it.

I keep mine on the shelf. I use it to show it off to visitors, they go oooh and aaaah. I'm stuck with it as I have no guts to sell it to an unsuspecting comrade.

-Izmet

Wow, thanks for the reply. I didn't think they would be that bad. There are a lot of good reviews at Amazon and it sounds like the guy has excellent customer service, but I don't think I'll be buying one.

What if I don't plan to travel with it but just want a set to have in the garage and not get the pieces knocked over easily?

I already ordered a different magnetic set, but I'm just wondering who else has experience with these.

Bogus product?  The bamboo model has neodimium magnets on the shelves.  The neodimium magnets on the pieces match the ones on the shelves; they stay on very well.  The set is too large for travel, but good to take to the park or coffee shop.  The set is not without flaws, however.  It was the first production run and lessons were learned.  They're all sold out anyway.    We're working on a smaller, plastic travel size.  It will be slick.

Bogus is too strong a word and not accurate. I apologize.

Everything else stands. Good idea, but not well implemented. Wish you well second time around.

Plastic? Mkay ...

-Izmet

Apology accepted.  The pieces should not fall off the shelves, ever.  You should have contacted me and I would have sent you a free replacement.  I've never heard of that issue.  Maybe the magnet holding the shelf in place is not working causing it to swing out unintentionally and erratically?  The best way to open it is to hold it so the shelves are vertical, then open the board, then push the buttons and let the shelves come out slowly, around horizontally.  I didn't discover this until after I shot video.  With plastic, manufacturing will be more consistent and the product will be more affordable, portable and hopefully in the hands of more people and kids.  The plan is to do a plastic and wooden (or bamboo) version every other year.  Odd years for wooden, even years for plastic.  Thoughts? Thanks! - William

This post continues to haunt. I still do not understand how the chess pieces would not hold well to the platforms. While selling this version 12 or so years ago on Amazon, the feedback was 98% positive. The reason I write this: this post comes up 3rd when searching "holdenart chess set" which is not helpful.

Now there is a new and improved slimmer version. It has silicone chess pieces which feel good and allows for a new chess piece called the "quawn". It's a way to provide an extra queen without taking-up platform space. 

The pieces are more narrow than typical pieces so they can fit on the platform. I like it because you can see more of the square during play. The squares are 1 3/8". Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks, -William

These pieces are prototype and before deciding on a more brown color for dark pieces. So the dark pieces in the production sets are brown and not this maroon color.

It should be noted that the person who made those claims about your board did a similar thing a few years ago about the Certabo board. His dubious claims were easily refuted and were suspicious that time too. I believe he is involved in the manufacture of chess products.

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/certabo-electronic-chess-board?page=4#comment-45694870

Edit: This is the thread where the untruthful claims are made. In that that thread he claimed to own the product, just like this thread. Coincidence that he was unsatisfied with both? I think not.

jjupiter6, That makes sense because there really is no way that I can think of how someone would experience the problem he was describing. Thanks for posting that.