Black and White Plastic E. S. Lowe's 1959 Renaissance set purchased from a newspaper advertisement from a Denver Department Store! Unweighted, I glued lead fish weights in the pieces myself. Two other plastic medieval themed sets were popular in the 60's - the Kingsway Florentine Chess Set, and the Sculpted Gothic Chess Set (1957) by Ganine.
I had a Plastic Red and White Weighted Staunton set, which saw a lot of use at lunches and after school in the cafeteria until it was stolen at lunch. Unable to get another Red and Ivory one, I got the Black and White Plastic Staunton one which I still have.
And here is the Wasson Chess Club, 1968
Oriental set, with Chinese figures - a pseudo ivory figures stained purple and brown in board box. The bald headed bishops and the knights riding dragons are my favorite pieces. The Inlaid mother-of-pearl board I got from the Nile Shop in Cairo was just right to go with these chessmen.
Hindu gods set from Surabago, Java purshcased by my son from a rather pushy street vender. It has a fancy carved round wooden box with legs that insert in slots.
Eastern European Consul Wood Set from Krakow, Poland. purchased by my wife while on a Mission Trip.
Wooden Staunton Set made in India with Walnut inlaid Board. Purchased from Wizards of the Coast
Here are a Chess Challenger from the 80's; An Ivan Electronic Chess and a Saitech Computer game
Marble or Alabaster Chess set with stone board case either from Chiellini of Italy - purchased on Ebay
Isle of Lewis Chessmen these are cast gypsum replicas purchased on Ebay and stained and painted myself. A future project might be a leather board, with celtic designs tooled into the white squares and around the borders!!
Hand made chess set made out of old Radio Tubes which would look nice on a mirrored glass board.
Resin Frog Kingdom Chess Set - Purchased on Ebay
Oriental Set with eight different Chinese Myth Character Pawns modelled after the Eight Immortals on Ebay - which would be a nice storytelling set.
Alice in Wonderland from England purchased on Ebay.
I also have a cute ceramic Teddy Bears Set that I need to paint.
St. George Chess Set. Purchased from
I have written an article on the conventional chess sets which proceeded Staunton's. Someday I would like to find both a Barleycorn; and a set similar to Washington's.
Jim Arnold's handcarved Red Oak Set - a gift from the carver
"Lotus Styled" Handcarved Rosewood Set from India
House of Staunton Red and Ivory Lacquered Chess Set with 4 Queens
House of Jacques Staunton Chess Set with 4 Queens
Handcarved Chess Set from India
Two sets from India of Faces, To be used also for Tfal once I ge the 9 X 9 board made
Nuts and Bolts Set (ebay)
Hand Painted Inca Chess Set with colorfully paint board Box from Novica
Muslim Ceramic Set From ChessPiece
It was Club of the Year in 1968, in part due to a speech I wrote, but didn't give - it was read by someone else.
Abstract African Set, are carved out of Kisii Soapstone probably in Kenya. The board is also stone. The pieces show individually - the black royalty are shorter than the white - the queens face opposite directions, the pawns vary some in size. The other pieces are not exact copies of each other. Purchased in Uganda in 2005
Regency Wooden Set
