Ok, I will change the forum now. Thank you.
Identify this Chess Set
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Nearly 100% certainly a French Lardy set, judging from the shapes of the chessmen, particularly the "trademark", nearly unique to Lardy, Queens, and the box.
Very unusual Knights, though. I have never seen a Lardy set with anything resembling them.
For this reason, I would date the set as being, at least, pre-1960, and possibly quite a bit older.
Very nice condition for its age. No yellowing of the light chessmen from exposure to light, and little, if indeed any, wear and no apparent damage to the pieces, which woulf mean that the set spent most of its life resting in its box and didn't see very much use.
Curiously, the chess set's box looks to be rather newer than the set itself.
http://www.chess-museum.com/chess-piece-production-in-the-jura.html
On this page on the middle there is a piece about Lardy sets and i see a few knights with those same eyes. Grain on the white pieces is the same as i have on a Chavet set that i have.
Isn't this more or less the same set:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-French-Wooden-chess-set-glass-eye-Knight-felted-Lardy-style-in-wood-box-/152320497895?hash=item23770258e7:g:wBQAAOSwiONYLKse
and this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-French-Lardy-Olive-Rosewood-Chess-set-glass-eye-Knight-felted-wood-box/152320441055?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40832%26meid%3D7ed754e577714a4390453f5720ce19c9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D152320497895
Should give you a direction of for how much eople try to sell these,
There is only one set shown with glass-eyed Knights, and those Knights are of a standard Lardy design that was made by them up to the company's demise. The actual shape of the Knights in lorenzchess' set is utterly different from any Lardy set that I have ever seen, either in person or on the internet.
The Chess Museum website dates that chess set as being manufactured sometime between 1900 and 1930, This would lead me to think that lorenzchess' set might well possibly be that old itself. The only problems with that conjecture being the remarkably good condition of the chessmen and the quite new looking box that they are contained in.
JackieMatra wrote:
There is only one set shown with glass-eyed Knights, and those Knights are of a standard Lardy design that was made by them up to the company's demise. The actual shape of the Knights in lorenzchess' set is utterly different from any Lardy set that I have ever seen, either in person or on the internet.
The Chess Museum website dates that chess set as being manufactured sometime between 1900 and 1930, This would lead me to think that lorenzchess' set might well possibly be that old itself. The only problems with that conjecture being the remarkably good condition of the chessmen and the quite new looking box that they are contained in.
Those 2 sets on Ebay look both to have the same knight as the Op's set are sold as Lardy as well condition looks as good. Great piece for a collection!
ElCanarion wrote:
Isn't this more or less the same set:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-French-Wooden-chess-set-glass-eye-Knight-felted-Lardy-style-in-wood-box-/152320497895?hash=item23770258e7:g:wBQAAOSwiONYLKse
and this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-French-Lardy-Olive-Rosewood-Chess-set-glass-eye-Knight-felted-wood-box/152320441055?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40832%26meid%3D7ed754e577714a4390453f5720ce19c9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D152320497895
Should give you a direction of for how much eople try to sell these,
They certainly are the same or nearly so.
New looking boxes in all cases, as well.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Perhaps they're 1980s Lardy sets that are uncommon because their sales had fallen off at that time and even rarer in the U.S.A. because their chess sets were no longer being sold here by either the USCF or Chess Digest as the "Fischer" chess boom had ended and the now much diminished wooden chess set market was being taken over by even less expensive Indian-made chess sets?
"Should give you a direction of for how much people try to sell these,"
"Try" is the key word.
1960s-1970s more common in appearance Lardy chess sets with storage boxes were still usually actually selling for, often well, under $100, when I bought one this past year.
JackieMatra wrote:
ElCanarion wrote:
Isn't this more or less the same set:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-French-Wooden-chess-set-glass-eye-Knight-felted-Lardy-style-in-wood-box-/152320497895?hash=item23770258e7:g:wBQAAOSwiONYLKse
and this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-French-Lardy-Olive-Rosewood-Chess-set-glass-eye-Knight-felted-wood-box/152320441055?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40832%26meid%3D7ed754e577714a4390453f5720ce19c9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D152320497895
Should give you a direction of for how much eople try to sell these,
They certainly are the same or nearly so.
New looking boxes in all cases, as well.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Perhaps they're 1980s Lardy sets that are uncommon because their sales had fallen off at that time and even rarer in the U.S.A. because their chess sets were no longer being sold here by either the USCF or Chess Digest as the "Fischer" chess boom had ended and the now much diminished wooden chess set market was being taken over by even less expensive Indian-made chess sets?
Lol bout the whole chess industry had a sudden death in 1980's was a fun read at the chess museum, nice piece about Chavet as well.
JackieMatra wrote:
"Should give you a direction of for how much people try to sell these,"
"Try" is the key word.
1960s-1970s more common in appearance Lardy chess sets with storage boxes were still usually actually selling for, often well, under $100, when I bought one this past year.
Thank you for noticing that. "Try" is indeed the correct term. I double the 1960's - 1970's thing but in some cases scarcity impacts a price more than age so me personally i have no clue of the actual value exect that it is unlikely that it is more than 300 USD 
.
Thank you all very much for your information. It is really interesting to read something about my chessset!
"The actual shape of the Knights in lorenzchess' set is utterly different from any Lardy set that I have ever seen, either in person or on the internet."
That was before today. Now I've seen three of them in just a couple of hours, which would lead me to completely revise my earlier speculations, and guess that these sets are quite likely to date from the 1980s,
JackieMatra wrote:
"The actual shape of the Knights in lorenzchess' set is utterly different from any Lardy set that I have ever seen, either in person or on the internet."
That was before today. Now I've seen three of them in just a couple of hours, which would lead me to completely revise my earlier speculations, and guess that these sets are quite likely to date from the 1980s,
Maybee you woke up in a different universe where suddenly all Lardy sets look like that. LMAO
"i have no clue of the actual value exect that it is unlikely that it is more than 300 USD"
The only true measure of the monetary value of anything is what someone actually pays for it, and even then, it is only the value of the thing to that particular buyer at that particular time.
JackieMatra wrote:
"i have no clue of the actual value exect that it is unlikely that it is more than 300 USD"
The only true measure of the monetary value of anything is what someone actually pays for it, and even then, it is only the value of the thing to that particular buyer at that particular time.
word! When i look at my chess sets i feel life on earth would have ended if i hadn't bought them for what ever they cost, my wife on the other hands thinks that her shoes are worth much more
"Maybee you woke up in a different universe where suddenly all Lardy sets look like that. "
No such luck.
Just checked, and whether I've been naughty or not, Donald Trump is still coming to my town.
Little-Charles wrote:
Polar is right, Lardy sets run from $50 to about $800 or so new, some older sets do have more value. I've never seen a Lardy with eyes on the Knights like that, or the pronounced grain on the White pieces, though.
Best is to keep this treasure as an heirloom. If you don't play, perhaps a child or niece or nephew might one day.
Regarding the grain on the white pieces btw on the sticker it says: "Pieces en Olivier et Palissandre" that explains the grain on the white pieces it's olive wood. I have a Chavet set with exactly the same grain on the white pieces and never realized what wood it was.
It may be a DGT board...
JackieMatra wrote:
"The actual shape of the Knights in lorenzchess' set is utterly different from any Lardy set that I have ever seen, either in person or on the internet."
That was before today. Now I've seen three of them in just a couple of hours, which would lead me to completely revise my earlier speculations, and guess that these sets are quite likely to date from the 1980s,
So you went form never seeing one... to seeing many in few days? and they don't have patina?
Hello Guys,
I really need your help. So I got this Chess set from my grandad and asked myself if this set is original and which value it has. I don't know a lot about chess. I think it is a set from Lardy. I'm adding pictures i took of the set and figures and it would be awesome if you could tell me something about it. Thank you!
