Cheap VS Expensive Chess Set

What's the difference between a cheap chess set and an expensive one, and are the expensive ones worth it? I was on the chess store and saw really expensive boards pieces, etc.

Generally speaking: Design, quality of craftsmanship (carving/finishing), weight of pieces (sometimes), wood species used, king height. Price isn’t always indicative of quality.

Is difficult

Whether the expensive ones are worth it is very subjective. I own dozens of sets, which I enjoy using, but I don't have any crazy expensive set, nor do I feel the need to own one.

@beachero gave an excellent answer of the most straightforward factors that contribute to the price of a chess set. I just want to mention a few additional factors:

• The finish (regular varnish, staining, lacquer, antiquing, distressing)
• Material (yes, the wood species used contribute to the price as some wood types are cheaper to source, prepare, and work with than others; but chess sets may also be made of bone, horn, ivory, or different plastics)
• Complexity of the knights (definitely a subset of quality of craftsmanship; the price of the knights can account for half of the total price of a chess set)
• Complexity of other chess pieces (in many pre-Staunton sets and reproductions, the rooks can be quite intricate, featuring brickwork, flags, or cannons; and particularly in traditional Indian chess pieces, the whole set can be very intricate, especially the royals)
• Whether or not two additional queens are included
• The material used for padding (felt, baize, leather)
• Inclusion of a king’s mark on the king’s side knights and rooks (an archaic practice, but sometimes they’re still included for historical and/or aesthetic reasons)
• The weighting system used (the most expensive sets from House of Staunton are weighted using a proprietary technique which allows the wood to expand without pushing into the weight, which reduces the risk of the wood cracking
• Warranty (the sets from the House of Staunton’s Forever Collection have a lifetime warranty for cracked pieces; some vendors may offer a warranty of a year; most sets come without a warranty)
• Inclusion of oppose-color finials or other components that necessitate the use of two woods per chess piece, or the staining of certain parts
• Historical significance (some sets are more expensive because they’re authentic reproductions of sets with historical significance)
• Tournament sets (some sets are more expensive because they are licensed tournament sets that are currently used in large chess tournaments)
• Limited edition releases
• Special releases (the House of Staunton offers a few sets that aren’t only limited to 10 sets, but come with the signatures of chess champions)
• DGT-enabled chess pieces (some chess pieces include chips that allow them to be recognized by electronic chess boards)
• Reputation (some chess vendors may be able to ask more due to their reputation; for instance, all chess sets by Noj are quite highly priced, and the demand is so high that there are waiting lists)

As for second-hand chess sets, all the aforementioned factors will contribute, but there are a few additional factors, including:

• The age of the chess set (older chess sets can be more expensive, especially when they’re in a good condition)
• The number of chess sets produced or their accessibility (some chess sets may be easier to find online than others)
• Condition (whether the chess pieces are still intact, and the amount of wear)
• Patina (some chess sets develop a beautiful patina over time, which is the color and quality of the surface; some sets may feature significant wear, but subjectively adds to the beauty of the set for some collectors)
• Restoration & replacement (some chess sets may sell for more once properly restored; some sets may go for less because repairs had to be made, or some of the pieces have been replaced by pieces of another set or modern reproductions)
• Demand (some sets may sell for more simply because demand has increased; for instance, the Mordovian chess sets have become more desirable since one was featured in the finale of The Queen’s Gambit)
• Knowledge of the seller (some chess sets are offered for less than what they are worth, simply because the seller doesn’t know what they have; you may get particularly lucky at thrift stores)

There's also the question how you define "cheap". Is it around 10-20€? 20-40€? 40-60€?

I have not seen sets at or below 20€ (I'm talking new sets here, not used from flea markets etc) that I 'd qualify as decent looking. For around 50€ you can get quite nice sets with good looks and haptics. If you go higher and higher, like Wandel says you get better finishes and/or better designs and/or historical designs (to varying accuracy) and/or using rarer and more expensive materials or sets made by a single crafts(wo)man.

So in my eyes a "cheap" set would be around 50€ because you get something that plays/feels good and you can look at it without the need for a puke bucket. Cheap in that sense doesn't necessarily mean affordable since spending 50€ on wood toys maybe isn't something everybody can do easily, it's just the least costly option that gives you a good return on your money.

You can get well weighted plastic pieces with decent designs for less than that so if money is tight I'd go with that.

Let me illustrate a bit:

This is just below 15€

This is just below 40€

This is 60€

I think those represent their respective price segments well enough.
The first two you wouldn't catch me playing with.

You will also hit a point of diminishing returns. If you invest +40€ on the 15€ set there's a gigantic jump in quality but if you invest +200€ on the 60€ set there's still an improvement in quality though it isn't as large by far as going from 15€ to 60€.

There's a difference between inexpensive and cheap.

Re: the 20€ bar: I do have a set I like that I got for less than 20€. It's the 15" Lingle set that can be found on Amazon. It usually costs around $26, but occasionally it goes on sale for $18 or even $16. The pieces are not weighted, but the set is made from natural wood (it reminds me a bit of the Wegiel sets) and the pieces have a clean design that I enjoy. It's a great starter set and the best deal I know at this moment.

Great illustration!

I don't think that that 15€ first set is even made out of wood. I think it's some kind of MDF. I hate those sets.
I own a couple of sets of similar quality to your 60€ set (one a standard Staunton style and the other a Russian style). But then I discovered the Wegiel sets and I really became fond of their unweighted different style. I now take those out more often than my weighted sets. They fall somewhere in between your 40€ and the 60€ sets.

Yeah, you can actually get a nice plastic set for that price, but definitely not a wooden set new. I was quite surprised by the quality of the Fischer Series set, as it’s nicely weighted at 45 ounces (1,275 g), and it even lacks mold lines! Quite remarkable for just $17.95, I think.

The Philos set (sub 15€) is indeed made of real wood (birch), it's also a full size set (89mm King's height). I never bought one but I know somebody who has, it doesn't feel good to play with it, the pieces are very thin and feel as cheap as they are. I suspect the manufacturer has a fully automated process to make those and just needs to unload a truck of wood into a machine or so.

You're right with the Polish manufacturer Wegiel, they have some sets in the 40-60€ range that start to show the amount of detail I like for my personal play.

By the way, I decided to turn my earlier answer into a post; it has more factors, broader descriptions, as well as various example sets to illustrate different factors. For anyone interested, you can find the post here:

What contributes to the price of a chess set?

Btw the price ranges I gave are not absolute, they're just a general idea of what to expect for your money. You'll be able to find the "60€" kind of detail for cheaper as well as the really cheap pieces for more money (obviously).

Since the original question was about what the differences are in going more expensive I simply tried to show some different levels of detail you can expect around certain price points.

I didn't show the high end (I'd qualify that from 100€ upwards) since at that range the differences at different price points aren't that clear due to very different styles or some materials only making a difference in person not so much on images. Also detail doesn't always go up with the price, eg the Bauhaus sets are (imo) ridiculously priced for the craftsmanship you get.

My wife expressed interest in getting the Man Ray set. I still haven’t decided whether I should, at some point, gift her a licensed set with an accompanying board for C$835, or if she will be just as happy with an unlicensed combo from Etsy for C$350 or so. Such a ridiculous price for the craftsmanship as you say! It’s a bit more exciting than the Bauhaus set to be fair, but it would be the most expensive set I ever bought, and for beech and ebonized pieces! Not even ebony.

I think this is a case where the value is in the novelty, historical significance, art, and the certificate of authenticity, rather than the craftsmanship and materials. But I still don’t know if I can justify spending hundreds of dollars more for a certificate. It doesn’t strike me as a highly sought-after set; and there is no scarcity, so I don’t see it increasing in value over time either.

Nah, I think I will find myself an unlicensed version—so long as it’s produced in Beech as per Man Ray’s instructions.

“I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.I aim with my eye.

I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.I shoot with my mind.

I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.I kill with my heart.”

Chess is played in ones head, not on a board, and a chess set is just a prop, necessary only for those of us who cannot keep track of the moves and positions with our minds. The cheapest set, therefore, should do just fine. Another thing is that most of us like to gather possesions (and our excuses are legion).

For practical use, that is for playing chess, there´s no reason to buy (or own) anything more expensive than a decent set of plastic chessmen and a roll up board, preferrably tournament sized. Luckily such sets are quite reasonably priced. Once the game is afoot no chess player worth his salt occupies his mind with thoughts about of what materials the pieces and board used are made of or what monetary value they represent.

If that works for you, that’s excellent.

But memorization and experience are complex things. I’ve heard several chess collectors share that they like to play certain historic games using the chess pieces that were used in that game, as it adds a layer of association.

Although I’m not sure I would strictly find that necessary, I do think it gives a richer experience if you can use chess pieces that are connected to the time in which the game was played. I don’t think what chess pieces are used is insignificant. For instance, different sets have different legibility of the pieces, and perhaps more importantly the weight and size can contribute to how the game is played, especially with a time limit.

I can appreciate that none of this matters to how you play the game. I mostly play online, so I can’t say it’s significant to me per se. But it does seem to be significant to some people.
So I disagree that there is no reason to buy or own anything beyond the practical and inexpensive. Certainly as a chess collector I disagree.

From a utilitarian standpoint you're quite right, you could also make some markings on a piece of paper, cut them out and play on a chessboard printout.
Not all people are the same, I get enjoyment from touching, looking at and playing with well-made chess pieces. There's no logical explanation, it's just how I am.

The same holds true for food, in theory humans could feed themselves some paste containing all nutrients in bioaccessible forms and they would not die. They'd only miss out on all the smells, textures and tastes there are.

(and yes I'm needlessly provocative with that inaccurate comparison but I'm a cook so I couldn't hold back , the utilitarian viewpoint has a lot of merits)

I play chess and I collect chess sets. I regard those as two separate hobbies that, of course, can be combined. But I react when someone says things like "I wouldn´t be caught playing with such (cheap) pieces". And not all of us who love the game are rich. For many even a very basic set represents a large, maybe utopic, investment. The world is full of poor people. So my answer to OP is that the difference between cheap and expensive sets is the price. An expensive set is a luxury item but in no way necessary for playing chess. I pity those who need an expensive set to enjoy this wonderful game.

That’s definitely fair!