Retailing Quality Chess Sets and dealing with a third world country

Increased Competition - need for low costs of goods and time. With a surge of online business, much competition is experienced accross all industries. With chess retailing many companies have sprung up to take advantage of what theinternet affords us - a relatively easy way to put up a commercial store. The increased competition has had three main effects: 1. Now the goods have to the right goods, be of good quality and be worth their price. 2. The profit margin is reduced through the competition. 3. The cost of being seen by customers through such mediums as web advertising (adwords, etc.) has risen significantly as merchants see the front page as the new High Street/Mall. Therefore more than ever (and clearly set to become more critical) there is a need for suppliers to provide high quality goods for a low price. In the case of ChessBaron chess sets, chess boards and chess pieces, once the goods are imported, tax paid, packaging bought, packers paid, etc. the cost of the goods are such that little profit is seen. Poor quality in terms of scratches, chips and such may well render a sale as just break-even or even a loss. Every area in chess set retailing needs to be watched - but the most difficult factor is dealing with a third world country where quality is just not the same as we have come to expect in the commercial, industrialised and demanding west.

Need to trust suppliers. If time is taken by operatives to examine every item that comes through to the chess warehouse, the product's profit is impacted. but it's not only that - it's difficult to motivate someone that doesn't have a shareholder relationship with the company to even do that kind of time consuming and tedious work. But the need to do this is clear if you can't fully trust that the supplier has quality checked the goods and they are without blemish or defect. The overwhelming need is for the chess set retailer to be able to trust that the supplier has performed due diligence in checing the quality. But it's just too tempting for a third world supplier to ignore one chess piece defect when it impacts the entire set. Further, with some of the more complex chess pieces taking two days or even more to carve a single chess piece (as with some knights), there is an impact on the suppliers profit margin if another two days is required to complete the chess set. The result? 'Include the piece and see what happens - we may get away with it'. The chess retailer needs to be able to trust the supplier with respect to blemishes and defects - if not, the whole chain to market success is precarious. Of all areas for stores selling chess sets - this is the most pressing - we have to get to a point where you can trust the suplier so much that we have confidence that what is labelled on the box is correct and that the contents of the case are appropriate quality.

True cost of customer returns. With competiton driving down the price of goods - all good for the consumer - carriage is built into the equation. If a customer returns a faulty chess set, then the merchant would generally cover the cost of the return trip. If a refund is given, two trips have been charged by the courier company, in many cases representing a net loss. If a replacement is sent then the carriage has been paid for three times - only once covered by the original purchase. This too often represents a net loss. But that's not all. Good customers produce - on average - two further customers over a future time period. Once a fault is experienced this is reduced to zero with a slight possibility of recovering the customers confidence and appreciation if handled well. All this because a suppier in India cannot be fullytrusted to produce good quality chess sets. The obvious short term solution? The merchants do their own quality control. As earlier discussed, at western salary prices profit is constrained even more.

Urge better supplier quality standards. We have to urge our Indian suppliers to change things. We cannot just tell them the issues, insist on replacements or partial/total credit and expect things to improve. Lip service asserting agreement is common but often results in little change - it's not the answer. They must realise that their quality control has to improve, something has to actually change to produce an improvement. Ranting and raving won't necessarily solve the issue, the suppliers must make some changes in the procedure and their attitude to make the stream a healthy one, to result in profit for all parties. But we're here, and they're there. If the supplier makes trips abroad annually, that may be the time to get the 'quality message' over, but the level of exertion needed for this is often underestimated. Visits to the area ourselves may be needed But clearly the mantra is an ongoing message. One factor to assist is to make the suppliers feel the pain by recording each blemish and insisting on rectification. This is an effective way to make the point clear and one which affects his own profitability.

Why not just change suppliers? With chess design being so specialised, when initially setting up an online store, so much is involved in photography and descriptions that changing the supplier to an apparently more worthy one is not an easy step, although in severe cases it's the only sensible one. The supplier may excel in areas of innovative design and just let himself down in the quality control area. Leavin gthe supplier may mean leaving the suppliers designs, the essence of the business. Besides, it may be a case of 'jumping out of the frying pan into the fire' - difficult to know if the new one is even worse. Unless the quality issue is severe, it may well be best when dealing with this sector of the world, to keep the quality message flowing, insist that they feel the pain of blemishes and take every occasion to pump the quality requirement message to an Indian supplier. It's the part in the chain of manufacture to consumer that results in the most gain.

All we need to do now is to get the domestic courier price down. But that's another story.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author: Baron Turner of ChessBaron UK - Customer focused Chess Pieces, Chess Sets, Chess Boards, Chess Clocks and Chess Computers and in the USA for US delivered and customer centric Chess Sets, Chess Pieces, Chess Boards. ChessBaron - It's all about the Customer!

Collecting Chess Sets: A Great Hobby For Chess Enthusiasts

There are a number of people today who treat chess as far more than just a game. They equate chess to a philosophy, and even a variation of lifestyle. It is rife with intrigue, challenges, mystery and excitement. It is so fascinating that pieces of art and literature portray various aspects of the sport. If you’re not convinced, just take a look at the wide selection of themed chess boards and chess pieces in the market.

Not surprisingly, there’s also a group of fanatics who are not just loving the game but also delving into chess set collectibles. The game is indeed a phenomenon that has taken the whole world by storm. Its image has greatly undergone a transformation: from boring and old-school, chess is now viewed as hip and hot! And it appears as if chess will stay that way in the future: well loved, ever popular and ever exciting. Whether you’re already into it or about to start your own chess collection line, today is always a good time to do so.

Your choices for the make of your own chess pieces are quite extensive. By far, the top favourite choices include crystals, wood, glass and metal. There’s always something for everybody.

Without a doubt, the price tag and your limited budget would make you think twice about venturing into collections. After all, good sets are expensive aren’t they? Can you indeed afford it, you muse.

Well, not all chess sets cost a fortune. In fact, when you do a bit of shopping, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at some great bargains. There are a variety of modern and antique items, which you can begin with to suit your pocket. Note that when you buy, you just don’t think of the “nows” but also of the “tomorrows.” Some inexpensive contemporary pieces may very well be future valuable antiques.

As you enhance your buy-and-select experience, you grow more confident with the choices you make. In fact, you can even grow your network of contacts in the business.

It is all too easy to spot an attractive set, grab it in haste and regret about what you’ve done. When you do go out shopping for your chess set, do not be too hasty in purchasing items which you haven’t had an opportunity to inspect closely. There are some crafty businessmen who can take advantage of your excitement and will sell you low-quality sets at a handsome price.

With a great buy – fantastic price and superb quality combined – you can bring home a collection with big, big smile.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author is co-owner of Quality Chess.net, an online chess store where you can see a variety of chess products, including your favorite elegant glass chess set or handmade chess pieces.

The Differences In Chess Sets and Boards

Chess has been around for quite a while and is quite popular these days. The chess we are familiar with was developed in south Europe in the fifteenth century. The European chess evolved from a corresponding but much older Indian game.

The game of chess is being played globally in tournaments, at home, in clubs and online. People get closer together because of the game, especially when they try to teach others how to play.

Today you can find many different kinds of chess sets and board, even though they all have the same basics. A normal chess board is divided into 64 squares colored in black and white and appointed in an eight by eight grid. Depending on what you are looking for, chess sets and boards can be found in many different sizes and variations.

A folding chess set, for example is one variation of a chess set, which many people who play chess for fun, find quite useful. You can also find travel chess sets on the market which are very small. This kind of set could be perfect if you are going on a vacation or camping since it doesn’t need much space and it is easy to use. The travel and folding chess sets are commonly made out of wood.

Another popular type of chess set are the magnetic chess sets which are handy because the chess pieces are less likely to move when you don’t want them to. This type of chess set can be made from different types of materials like plastic, wood and metal and their size and shape can vary as well. A magnetic chess set consists of a chess board with metal inside and chess pieces that hold magnets on the downside. Like this you can play wherever you like, even in a space shuttle! Ok, perhaps not while the shuttle is being launched, but you know what I mean.

Today you can also find electronic chess computers and chess sets which are quite popular and convenient. These kinds of chess sets and boards have some really nice features like a game storage and a save function, which is very convenient if you want to pause your game and continue another day. Another advantage of having an electronic chess set or a computer is that with most of them you can play versus the computer itself, which means that you will always have an opponent. It can also be fun to turn off the single player mode and play against a real human opponent.

No matter which of the chess sets and boards you choose, the game will stay the same and the rules will not change.

If you’re new to the game, the first rule of chess is that a player in possession of white pieces always begins first.

Each player has an even amount of pieces – eight pawns, two knights, two bishops, two rooks, a king and a queen.

The main goal for both players is to win from the other by checkmating the king of the opposing player. "Checkmate" means that the king cannot move away from an attack. The game of chess is frequently referred to as the war without bloodshed. The game is chess is extremely famous and it is a game that never dies.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Powers is co-owner of Quality Chess.net, an online store where you can browse for a variety of chess products, so you can find that unique Saitek electronic chess set or folding chess set.

Marble Chess Sets – The Choice of Nobility

Humanity has been obsessed with carving marble for over five thousand years. Some of the most beautiful sculptures in recorded history are fashioned from this metamorphic wonder. Marble also has practical applications. For instance, it is crushed up and used in the production of paper. But, industrial uses of marble pale in comparison to its great ornamental value. 

Marble chess sets have graced the table of nobility since the Middle Ages. Its long association with the affluent appreciation of chess has made marble the material of choice for those avid chess enthusiasts who long for the feel of royal privilege while they decimate their opponent.

Some aficionados of marble chess sets prefer them to chess sets constructed from other materials due to marble’s inherent mineral properties. Marble is comprised mostly of the crystalline version of calcium carbonate.  Calcite, as it is known, doesn’t refract light well and therefore, the light hitting it enters further before bouncing away, creating a soft waxen sheen. This effect is what gives the impression that Michelangelo’s David could very well put down his discus and head off to the cafeteria for lunch. This “bio-organic” breath of living-beauty gives the distinguished feel of marble a dimension that deserves reflection. 

Marble has other characteristics besides stunning visual beauty that manufacturers of quality marble chess sets favor. Marble, in general, doesn’t tend to shatter – a good thing to know if you’re wielding a hammer and chisel. The resilient nature of marble allows the carving artisan to pursue a multitude of creative directions. Although typically classical in nature, marble chess sets can, and have been, designed in the most inventive styles that would wow even the most jaded collector.

Since the metamorphic process that creates marble occurs all over the planet, marble’s impurities and color characteristics vary wildly, thus, marble can be found in such hues as, white, green, blue, pink, gold, brown and black. And within that color structure, the veins of impurities sport their own unique color ranges and fluidic designs. 

Which one do you favor? Well, that would be a matter of taste. 

For instance, the combination of Ariston and Aleveri Grey marble possesses a traditionally unsullied visual appeal that isn’t necessarily dependant on classic design. Another good example of creative color mixing would be Eretria Red and Levadia Black. This marble marriage can give marble chess sets a menacingly ominous undertone and help to intimidate your opponent into making more blunders than usual.   

Because of marble’s wide appeal, marble chess sets can be found from a wide variety of sources. However, this increased choice contains products better left on the manufacturer’s shelves and suppliers with less-than-honorable business practices.  Collectors and retail consumers both have to research their purchase to ensure that it is indeed of high quality assembly and design. 

Your search for quality marble chess sets will most likely end up online. Again, the choice of suppliers is many and varied, but you might try to find one that provides carefully constructed and beautifully designed marble chess sets.

Article Tags: Marble Chess Sets, Marble Chess, Chess Sets

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Sokol is the creator of Quality Chess. Quality Chess is a provider of a large selection of unique and classical chess boards including carefully constructed and beautifully designed marble chess sets.

Themed Chess Sets

Many people today choose to play with nontraditional chess sets that do not feature common chess pieces like bishops and kings, but rather, have more modern characters for the chess pieces.  There are commemorative chess sets representing historical events such as the American Civil War.  Popular characters for TV shows and movies are also immortalized in chess pieces.  Some of the most popular themed chess sets are of Civil War characters, the Lord of the Rings, and of the popular animated TV show South Park.

Many popular themed chess sets feature figures from the Civil War, with one person playing as the Union and the other playing as the Confederates.  Civil War themed chess sets are extremely detailed and realistic.  The pieces are painted and carved to look as if they are wearing authentic civil war uniforms and carrying weapons of the period.  The pieces, themselves, use historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis as the kings for their respective sides and generals like Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee also appearing as bishops or rooks.

Characters from the Lord of the Rings trilogy of books and movies have also been immortalized as chess pieces.  These fantasy characters are perfect for adaptation as chess pieces.  Characters like Aragon, Gollum, Frodo, and Gandalf cast as kings and bishops, while orc warriors and hobbits represent the pawns.        

Not all themed chess sets feature historic figures or movie warriors, some feature cartoon characters and comic figures.  One of the most popular themed chess sets features characters from the rude and crude cartoon South Park.  It is nearly impossible for fans of the show not to laugh at these lowbrow cartoon characters turned into kings, queens, bishops, and such.  The selection of characters is irreverently appropriate, keeping with the show's sense of humor.  Wise school cafeteria cook Chef is cast as the king, with overweight Carman riding a dog as a knight, and, of course, hapless Kenny as the pawns.  

Themed chess sets are great for people who are interested in history or are fans of TV shows and movies.  These chess sets allow people to support their favorite movie or TV show while playing an ancient game of strategy.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chess Sets provides detailed information about travel, glass, wooden, magnetic, marble, ivory, themed, and collectors’ chess sets. For more information go to http://www.e-chesssets.comand/or visit our affiliate site at http://www.original-content.net.

Interesting Chess Facts

Because the chess game is being one of the oldest games created there are many interesting facts surrounding this game? Many researchers say that chess originates from India, due to its similarities to a Hindu game called Chaturanga that has been around just as long. However, there are some that believe it originates from China, 2nd century BC and the word ‘checkmate’ actually derives from a Persian phrase ‘shah mat,’ translating into ‘the king is defeated.’ The game is so lost in its antiquity that no-one really knows where its origins lay. Chess originated in India in the 6th century. It was called "chaturanga", which means literary "four divisions of the military". Another theory is that is started in China around the 2nd century BC. Chess reached Europe and Russia around the 10th century. What we do know is that today Chess Games are held any where, in homes, at clubs, online and by mail either for recreation or in a competition or tournament. The most important aim of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king! Most chess players, who evolved into masters, became students at an early age. World chess champion Jose Capablanca began to play chess at the age of four after watching his father, Anatoly Karpov was taught the moves of chess also at four years old and then went on to become a grandmaster and world champion, and Boris Spassky learned the strategies of the game at the age of five. International grandmaster is one of the highest titles you can receive, Judit Polgar achieved this at 15 years old and Bobby Fischer was awarded the title of international master at 14 years old. Of course chess isn’t only for the very young; it’s popular with all ages. Gyorgy Negyesy who died in 1992, just before his 99th birthday, was the longest living master chess player.  Chess games can last hours or minutes depending on the skill of the players or even their fortune. It is unbelievable but there have been games which involved only 1 move, amazing! A famous game like this was held between Rogoff and Huber in 1972. But the longest game ever recorded was between Nikolic and Arsovic, held in Yugoslavia in 1989. This chess game involved 269 moves and took over 20 hours and no one won. Not only men but women regularly win championships and claim world titles as well. Nona Gaprindashvili was the first woman to win a men's chess tournament in 1977. Here she tied for first place and after this went on to achieve men's international grandmaster status in 1978. Maia Chiburdanidze who was 17 years old was the youngest women’s world champion of all when she won the women's title in 1978. The first woman in history to qualify for the men's world championship was Susan Polgar in the year 1986. Again is does not matter what age you are because Edith Price was 76 when she won the British ladies championship in 1946. Not satisfied with a ‘normal’ game of chess, some players like to set themselves a challenge and that’s exactly what George Koltanowski did when he played 56 consecutive games in 1960. In 1977, Czechoslovakian Vlastimil Hort played 550 opponents, 201 of them simultaneously. He won all but 10 games in just over thirty hours. He won 50 and drew the other 6. He also played blindfolded! In 1997, Dimitrije Bjelica played 312 games simultaneously, winning 219, losing 1 and drawing 92. Not everyone is a winner of course as was proved when Austrian master Josef Krejcik played 25 games simultaneously in 1910 and lost every one. Chess sets are not only simple and practical, many of them are beautifully hand crafted. A unique chess set was discovered in 1170. Carved from walrus tusks, each of the characters is shown in a bad mood, ranging from anger to depression. If you are looking for unique chess pieces, Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali’s did an amazing job with a design that exchanged the traditional chessmen with fingers and thumbs made of silver based on his own digits. Interested in the game of chess now? All you need to do is purchase yourself a basic chess set and you can start learning how to play chess today. Oh, and you will need a willing partner of course! Or if you already know how to play why not treat yourself and upgrade yourchess board and chess pieces with a quality set?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Sokol, is the owner of Quality Chess, a website selling quality chess boards and chess sets.

An Introduction to Chess Sets

There are many different kinds of chess sets to accommodate all chess players.  Chess sets are made out of many different materials such as glass, ivory, marble, and wood.  Some chess sets are especially small or have magnetic pieces, perfect for taking on trips and playing while traveling. 

People have been playing chess for many centuries.  No one knows for sure where or when it originated, but it is known that people in Persia, India, and China played chess in the Middle Ages.  The game spread to the Middle East next, then to Spain and the rest of Europe.  It is very likely that the game pieces were altered once the game spread through Europe to take on the forms that they currently have.   

The different pieces in a chess set each represent parts of medieval life.  The pawns represent peasants.  Just as peasants were considered unimportant to people in power, pawns are the weakest pieces in the game of chess and are used primarily as sacrifices.  The rooks, or castles, represent home and sanctuary.  The knight represents soldiers, who, at the time, were held in high esteem, but not as much as the church or royal family. The bishops represent priests and are considered more valuable than knights.  The queen is probably the most powerful piece on the board, but the king is the one that must be protected at all costs, or the game is lost.   

Chess players at all skill levels  marvel at the craftsmanship that goes into creating fine chess sets.  It takes true artistry to create chess sets out of wood, stone and glass.  Many chess sets are extremely rare and are valuable collector's items.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chess Sets provides detailed information about travel, glass, wooden, magnetic, marble, ivory, themed, and collectors’ chess sets. For more information go to http://www.e-chesssets.comand/or visit our affiliate site at http://www.original-content.net.