New Collector first set!?

Additionally try to figure out what you want to do with your collection. There are a lot of jaw-dropping sets around, but myself for example I don't buy any (out of principle) I'm not going to use to play a casual game with friends or my (young) sons. As such I don't consider myself a collector, I just have more than a single chess set.

Spotted this while looking for collector chess sets. Did you decide and buy that first set and started collecting?

What's budget? I would suggest settling on a general size first. I would suggest 3.75" sets +/- .25" because its generally speaking the official size of tournament chess sets. Then buy a 2.25" board (2.25" is the size of the individual squares).

With this setup all future sets and all future boards can be combined and used together. If you're getting a clock I would suggest the DGT 3000. It's the digital board that pairs up nicest with wood chess sets IMHO.

My suggestion.....Just go on the various chess vendors' sites and get a feel for what you like.

I am looking for some reproduction options like dubrovnik, soviet latvian, herman ohme, fischer spassky, and similar ones.

Mordovian (incorrectly called Latvian) reproductions are strangely expensive, and none of the Indian artisans does the set justice. If you don’t care about the weight, you can get a nice original one for less money. I guess you could weight it yourself, and perhaps refinish it if you want a pristine look.

RetroMaximum is the only one I’ve seen do good Mordovian knights. I don’t believe they currently have the set listed, but I suspect they will make you a set if you message them. I don’t know if they add weight to their Mordovian reproduction though; their Valdai reproduction is quite light for instance. But maybe you can put in a request for added weight.

I actually own that set, its the most beautiful one in my collection. You are correct, it is quite light because the pieces are not weighted, however the craftmanship is outstanding and the wide bases of the pieces make for a sturdy not likely to tip over experience with these pieces.

Yeah the set seemed like the same weight as the original 1953 Mordovian set I bought for my stepson. And like your reproduction, the pieces felt very stable and nice to handle. It’s definitely the nicest unweighted set I’ve experienced, in terms of how the pieces feel. Nice to hear those characteristics translate to the reproduction!

I’m curious, what makes you say it’s the most beautiful set in your collection? Do you like the design more than the others in your collection, or is it about the finish?

Personally I also like it when sets go for different color felts than the conventional green ones. I prefer the color of the felts to match the general vibe of the set. I don’t think green felts would have suited a Mordovian set or indeed a reproduction of it.

I love the way these pieces look, they wreak of elegance. They feel wonderful in my hands and when I actually take them out to play with my friends or chess opponents they are simply in awe of the beauty of these pieces. I do have a few very well taken care of very original 1950s and 1960s dated sets in this Mordovian / Latvian designs, (five actually) and while their beauty is also unparalleled simply because of the wornness and the chips and dings I prefer to play with my reproduction when I feel Eastern European, LOL. Yes you are also correct about the red felt bottoms as well. Just something different about them. If only these pieces could speak and tell us their stories, about their owners and their very own history. It's part of the wonder of owning these sets. Besides, I'm saving my five originals for my five grandkids.