What to do with ivory chess set?

Hi everyone --

We found this chess set from my grandparents as we were cleaning out their house after they passed -- not sure where they got it other than the cryptic handwritten note shown below!

Does anyone have any advice on what to do with it? I enjoy chess but wouldn't be able to display it with little kids around; it seems like it might be pretty valuable but then again it seems there are ivory laws that I'm not really clear on and obviously don't want to run afoul of, etc. Obviously I don't even KNOW if it's truly ivory or not ... so not much at all to go on here.

Appreciate any feedback, thank you!

The trade with ivory and other endangered species is ruled by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), to which the USA is a signatory.

I don't know how the US handles the particulars of the treaty, but I happen to know that the EU has exceptions for the sale of ivory which was bought before the CITES ban on ivory sales (in 1989?).
I am a recorder player and I know that recorder players who own instruments made out of endangered woods are *really* particular about keeping their instruments' papers in order, having receipts on hand etc etc. So I am a bit pessimistic about a handwritten note as a valid proof of purchase...

Ivory is banned for export and protected under CITES appendix.

You will not be able to trade in it and might land in trouble.

I think you can sell it inside your country without problems. 

CITES is an international trade agreement, so CITES applies only when crossing borders.

To me, it seems a very valuable kit, gorgeous indeed! 

@bdubs14 - the set is ivory, made in Hong Kong presumably in the 1960s or 1970s. These sets were pretty much mass produced back then and sold to tourists. I assume you are located in the US. If you were able to sell it, depends a lot on the State you are residing in. Some states still allow the domestic trade with ivory artefacts, like Texas and Florida, if I am not mistaken. Others, like New Jersey, have much stricter rules and do not only prohibit the sale, but also the inheritance of ivory goods. You should try to find out what rules apply in your State. Apart from that, it will not be possible to export the set, as the US on a Federal level has introduced a trade ban in 2016, prohibiting all imports and exports of ivory.

I have seen some sellers selling an ivory labelled Mammoth Ivory. Can that legally be sold across borders.

Hi I’m new here was just wondering what a set like this is worth?

Mammoths are not endangered species because they are long extinct. Elephant or walrus ivory is an entirely different matter as they are protected species. Unfortunately, unless you find a frozen mammoth with well-preserved tusks, their ivory is very expensive to buy...far more than any woods. I think HoS has a mammoth ivory set for around $10,000? Definitely out of my price range.

Seeing how terrible the craftsmanship is on this I don't think it would be worth a lot, even if it's ivory. The only selling point of this set would be the material - that's not a good sign. I can't imagine a collector wanting this on display.

If it really is ivory it baffles my mind that anybody would let such an amateur carver near a more expensive material, this must have been a quick buck scheme.

I suppose they had more ivory available than good craftsmen.

After looking at some 60s ivory chess sets online I'd be surprised if this one would even reach the $150 mark. If a buyer can be found that is, because if nobody wants it it's worth $0.

Interestingly, the note says " 1967 Vietnahm." Did your grandpa buy it while stationed overseas during the war?

Below are old advertisements that I could find from 1968-1969 Chess Voice issues that I think matches your set. I guess one of the retailers was "Connoisseurs Curiosity Shop." According to the earlier ad, they were based in Chicago and marketed to Chess Voice readers (previously known as Scacchic Voice):