There are many pistol storage boxes that are great cheap storage for chess pieces. This is one example on Amazon for 36 bucks. Each piece nestled individually in foam with no piece to piece contact, and no piece movement if you are carrying or moving the box, even roughly. I have some cheaper versions in black plastic that are usually 20 to 25 dollars.
@Pawnerai could you please send link to that case I can't find it. I'm going to see if I could put a pyramid foam panel on there to get a compression fit when I zipper up. The light compression to keep the pieces from moving around and becoming damaged. Similar to how the gun pistol cases work.
@Forked again that's a really nice case. I use a pistol case that has a smaller footprint than that one. It works well with my 3.75" and 4" sets but I need my to be able to fit inside of a bookbag because I usually take the train when going to Marshall's Chess Club. I use the pistol case for travel storage not permanent storage.
Love my Plano Boxes. Pretty air-tight as well. This model holds about any set.
@Pawnerai could you please send link to that case I can't find it. I'm going to see if I could put a pyramid foam panel on there to get a compression fit when I zipper up. The light compression to keep the pieces from moving around and becoming damaged. Similar to how the gun pistol cases work.
Here's the Amzn link. Unfortunately the price went back up. Save it in your Amzn Wish List and it'll notify you of price drops. The listing has the product measurements if you want to compare the size to other hard EVA cases that may be cheaper at the time. When I purchased it last week, there was a price drop + a 10% coupon at checkout.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G6YF2F9
FYI: It also just barely fits a 4.2" King 34-piece set with no pressure when zipping it up. Pic below:
I can totally understand how frustrating it can be when the prices for something like chess box storage seem inflated, especially if you've found a better deal in the past. I, too, got a custom dovetail box for a much lower price from https://customcraftltd.com than what I've seen on Etsy lately. It definitely feels like we're being looted when we see such a big difference in pricing.
Have you tried looking for other options besides Etsy? It could be worth checking out other online marketplaces or even reaching out to local craftsmen or woodworkers to see if they can create a custom box for you at a more reasonable price. It's always worth shopping around to see what different options are available.
I hope this helps and that you're able to find a chess box storage solution that fits your budget!
You can find a nice box on Amazon....Blake & Lake make nice ones that don't break the bank....I have two.
I only mention the B&L box,because I like to see nice sets stored in a wood box/coffer type.
It's not pricey and looks very good,but if anyone lives near a "Home Goods" store,they usually have some very nice wooden boxes for bargain prices.
If you want a super nice box,"Pleasant Time Industries" has amazing boxes/coffers of all types.....More money,but really fine.
Good luck.
Plastic Chessmen stored in plastic, of course!
Set is HoS Triple Weighted Master Series with 3.75" King, which fit perfectly into a 14oz Prince Albert plastic can - the lid of which by design automatically vacuum seals itself tight upon closing by pressing down on the lid - to keep the pipe tobacco fresh - and will not pop open during transport even against the weight of the set inside.
Best part is, I consider my monthly pipe tobacco purchase to come with one Free Circular Prince Albert Chess Box!
Since posting here in May 2021, I’ve upped the quality of the Scotch and changed some tubes.
I like my black EVA box, it's very cheap and it's airtight. It's definitely better than the candy box I used before.
I agree that the speciality chess boxes are priced quite high. Sometimes as much as chess pieces. I saw one on HOS selling for over 1000 USD. Why would someone in their right mind pay so much for a box. Spending on chess pieces or boards make sense but for a Box, its way too much. I use a plastic container or some pouch bags and they serve the purpose well.
Since the last photo that I posted in this thread, I’ve replaced a box with a nicer box that carried a $200 bottle of Scotch.
Been upping my game. The old green Glenmorangie 18 container is empty because I’m taking that set to chess lessons. It is my oldest plastic set, purchased at Toys-R-Us in 1988. Why use such a nice box for a cheap plastic set? The set shows signs of a thousand battles and I replaced the original cheap and thin felt with thicker felt in 1999.
I only have two sets of pieces that did not come with a storage solution. I keep them both in some tins that used to store cookies or chocolates (I don't remember exactly). I padded them with shelf liner material, though I could have also used felt.
The late Bob Long (the chess publisher) showed me these leather drawstring pouches that are perfect for medium-sized sets. The leather is high-quality, soft, and supple and there's a divider within each pouch, so you can store the pawns on one side and the main pieces on the other.
Bob Long had a good eye for this stuff.
https://www.amazon.com/Piel-Leather-Drawstring-Pouch-Chocolate/dp/B002A69EPE
All Purpose Zipper Bags from Walmart. $2.00 a bag is a cheap option. For storing I don't have a need for bulky padded boxes or cases. They are not going anywhere and these bags do save a lot of space in my closet.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/All-Purpose-Zipper-Bag/123067590?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=3295&adid=22222222420449455996&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-293946777986&wl5=9026562&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=123067590&wl13=3295&veh=sem_LIA&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl_SHBhCQARIsAFIFRVWtg5uGoZOl_2MyDncqfo_hLa1BY-oGnZE-gn_aK2Mt27xJqHzWR0AaApiSEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds