It is important to realize they are as much an art form as an sculpture or painting, so some of them, by the right manufacturers, can hold a great deal of value.Likewise, there are tons that are from other manufacturers with less brand recognition.

Because of that, we get a lot of requests for things we do not normally handle. There is good reason to want to find out – chess sets vary in value from worthless to tens of thousands of dollars in some rare instances.

The variety and styles of the conventional form, begun in the 15th century, had expanded tremendously by the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Conventional types popular during the period included the English Barleycorn chess set, the St.

Unfortunately, there are literally thousands of different artisans and manufacturers that have made chess piece sets over the years.

They have been made from all manner of materials; exotic woods, stone, brass, ceramic, unusual other materials.