Good Sunday morning, and hi, "Guys" (minus the Guy, who's probably having too much fun in the "homeland"...)
Clay, Noybear: ok I will not ask...
But interesting, Clay, about the variety of items that could in fact be used to make chess sets, eh? No, I haven't seen one of aircraft, but your suggestions seem like it would work for chess (or other) aficionados of either air aviation, history, etc. I have a chess collector friend who has been collecting for probably over 30 years, and his other "passion" is trains. I have also never seen a chess set with a train theme, but I suspect one could be imagined and created. For our staunton cousins, I do have to agree that not much compares with playing with such a basic (and in fact pretty and simply designed) staunton set. But the creativity (in my opinion) would have to blossom from the left brain, rather than from the right. And I think you have both creative talents, my American brother!
Now, d-Baron Duncan, I must thank you for taking the time and effort to link us to your ex-girlfriend's (.... er... son's ex-girlfriend's) gift of a chess set. Nice close-ups of the Transformer's set.
But actually, (Clay and Duncan), I think I was not specific and detailed enough when I asked about a Transformer Chess set out there. Actually, I was thinking and asking about the original set of "transformer" toys that were "all the rage" when my (now 27 year old son) was a kid. Imagine a created set that could transform from made-up such items as vehicles and other thought-up items, into the devious and heroic mechanical wonders!
OR, how about a set of (any themed) objects that could "transform" into a set of staunton chess pieces! The sky is the limit as far as creativity. So, if and when I see some such chess set on the Net, (ebay or chess website)... remember that you may have well seen that idea first seen right here! Maybe I can claim "ownership" somehow and get some royalties or some such monetary reward? (In this dog-eat-dog world, perhaps not, eh?)
BTW, I am not talking here about such puzzle-like objects that can be disassembled into a chess set... such as some flat wooden puzzles, or the Commemorative Fischer-Spassky set, or the imaginative and rare Rocco brass cubes chess set. I am talking here about something rather different, if you "get my drift"...
On a (very) side note, a few years ago, my son was aghast that I had removed his "Autobots" and his "Decepticons" from the original packaging (to save on space) where he had them stored in the once "play room" downstairs in our finished basement. I was doing a major clean-up and organizing down there. Little did I know at the time that doing such a cleanup would (value-wise, in the financial sense) decrease the market value of those Transformers. I think and hope he has forgiven me! Well, live and learn! Hmmm. Say, I think I will go and search out those Transformers... see how many he has, and then picture what such a chess set (composed of such pieces) would look like!
Later, guys! "Gotta go!" (I use that phrase to impress our British cousins of my high ranking linguistic status over here in the States 😉 )... Time to do some driveway sealing work before the day gets too hot and a noontime July 4th celebration of parade, a barbeque at my doctor's house, and maybe even a game of chess!
John, VT.