ugly chess sets

[chesspurr]

scince we are all in a fun loving mood , it might be time to start this new thread. rules .... e bay listings only ....

[chesspurr]

what do we make of this blood stained set ? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330090344765&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:PIC&ih=0...

[ne0romantic]

140089320736 It's not my thing, but even I find some of the pieces quite cute... it's just that one eye'd pawn that pushes me over the edge... that thing is downright creepy.

[ne0romantic]

I mean you can be cutsie, or you can be phallic.. but there's something wrong about both at the same time.

[rickofricks]

Thanks for starting the ugly chess set thread. I've always found the Ganine faces particularly awful, and bloodstains don't help a bit. I also nominate Mexican "Aztec" sets (lots of those from the 70s). Sorry, don't have a picture.

[dwolf359]

If you're talking UGLY, you can't do so without talking about vegetable ivory sets. Atrocious things! I would post a photo of one here but that would be a disservice to other members. You see, if you stare at one intently for a while, your brain turns into a Tagua nut! Dan P.S. Leave those sets to the lovers of ugly such as Ganine and Aztec sets. 😄

[timdewey2]

Hi Dan , I'm afraid you are doing the humble tagua nut (more commonly called vegetable ivory) a great disservice Guy has a great victorian one and Jonathan Jordan bought a very large staunton pattern set in Portobello Road recently. I know the modern sets to which you refer nd they are a carbuncle on the ar*e of society. However the nuts are only of limited size ,and to make a set is complicated by the void that forms inside limiting the size and shape of the finished object,(pieces are made in sections and screwed together. Look again at these antique sets and you will change your mind Regards Alan D

[chesspurr]

timdewey2 hi alan the wolf saw my vegetable ivory st george set .... i played a dirty trick on him .... suggested it was bakelite.... needless to say dan is still a bit sore about that stitch up....

[dwolf359]

Alan & Guy, Boy, I didn't know veggie ivory had such ardent defenders! However, I must confess that I am one of those admirers of the Peter Ganine chess sets! Hooray for PLASTIC! Dan P.S. Call me mad or daft or both, but there's precious few sets that I would not collect. Here's one: http://www.angelfire.com/games5/dwolfs/my_photo_album/index.album?i=8&s=1 Well okay, I'm a liar too! LOL

[ne0romantic]

Count me among the defenders of tagua sets.

[rickofricks]

Oh -- I just remembered a big one! I listed one of these, and I even wrote in the listing : This is guaranteed to be the ugliest chess set you'll ever own." The 1972 McGovern vs. Nixon set!!!! If you've ever seen one of these in person, they're monstrous gobs of plastic (not that I have anything against plastic -- it's the monstrous gob part I am concerned about), with their backs hollowed out. Ugly renderings of ugly men with absurd simplified iconic body forms beneath the busts. And they're ENORMOUS! Somebody DARE to defend THAT ONE !!

[dwolf359]

Good one, Rick! You know, they never show photos of the "open backs" when they sell these on ebay. No wonder. They IS ugly. I probably would have better luck defending Nixon and the Watergate break-in than this "unfinished" chess set. Dan P.S. (Psst, Rick, where can I get one?) 😉

[dancing_with_volves]

It looked so weird that I almost bid on that one 😕

[ne0romantic]

I'm not a fan of 260089756682 I think the shape is quite ugly, and spalding? or whatever the interesting design in the olive wood works against the pieces in this case. I think if it's more regular it can be good sometimes, but my opinion is that over all the fancier woods are not a good choice for chessmen.

[ne0romantic]

270091414584 is your more usual olive wood set, and I think the more evenly disbursed pattern in the wood works a lot better here... it's just the knights that bother me in this set. They remind me of certain 'Sesame Street' monsters. But of course neither of these sets hold a candle to the hollow Nixon.