This is a complete set of full, "tournament size" checkers. They are just under 1.75 inches across (about 1 11/16"), and thick. The black ones are solid, with some having a little "rubbing ring" on them, from storage. The white ones have incredible swirls in them - I think they are acrylic. They come in the original package, which is pictured. They weigh the same as bakelite checkers of the same width, though the bakelite ones I compared them to are just a tiny bit less thick. Also, it's easy to make your own board for these checkers. I used a pre-stretched canvas, turned it upside down in order to have the "box" effect, and painted the points, bar, etc. There are also companies that sell the cork inserts, and so you only have to glue them down on a board, because the points are already painted on them.
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This is a very high quality set with great bakelite checkers - they have great swirls in them. The case is very well made and in excellent condition, with a painted cork board. The checkers are about 1.25 inches wide and in great shape, with just the usual minor surface scratches from play. The doubling has 1 inch sides and may also be bakelite. There are two dice cups, with trip ridge and fabric interior (for keeping the rattling dice sound to a minimum). The handle and hardware are not damaged, with is so often the case in old sets (this looks like it's about 30 years old). This is the same color combination (red and yellow checkers with white and brown points) that was used at the 2007 World Championship of Backgammon in Monaco. This set came with the Crisloid brochure, but there are no tags on the set that say Crisloid or anything else. Whatever it is, it's got great swirly checkers (haven't seen many as good as these) and a case/board that looks like it can take a lot of punishment (though it looks like it was only used a small number of times). Recently on eBay, a set of the same size, but not bakelite and non-folding, sold for over $40 total (item number 300163716372) - notice that the same booklet was included with that set.
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The two doubling cubes on the top have one inch sides and are bakelite. The two large ones on the bottom are 30mm per side, and are new. The red one is swirly, the white one is solid. Both are a heavy plastic material - the new way to make a bakelite type of product, I guess (not resin or acrylic, but a hard, dense plastic), and have engraved numbers. The smaller one on the bottom is also of the new bakelite type material, swirly white, 22mm per side.
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This is a red, white, and blue set that may have belonged to someone who knew Mary Zita Jacoby, co-author of the classic backgammon book, "The New York Times Book of Backgammon," because I bought them together at an estate sale. This is a custom-made set, and has a very "heavy-duty" case/board. The board seems to be laminated wood. The checkers are 1.5 inches across, about 3/8" high, and are painted hardwood (maple or oak, I'm guessing - they weigh about 6.5 grams each. The have heavy green felt bottoms and slide across the board very nicely. The red doubling cube has 1 inch sides and may be bakelite. It weighs about 20 grams. The blue and transparent dice have rounded corners. There is no damage to any of the items except some minor wear/nicks to the case/board. The book has 175 pages and was published in 1973, and is a first edition, first impression. The first page, which is blank, has the following inscription:
"To Angus Duncan, Best wishes for fun with backgammon Mary Zita Jacoby." The book is at least very good plus, and the original dust jacket just has some minor tears, nicks, and wear. A flexible elastic belt holds the set together for transportation, as you can see in the picture. There are 16 of each color checker, rather than the usual 15 of each.
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This is a bakelite set with checkers that are a hair under 1.5 inches across and thicker than normal, with the "fingerdip" pattern that makes them easy to move around. Three checkers have tiny chips which are hardly noticeable - the swirls in the pieces, however, are fabulous. This is the same color scheme and appears to be the same size as the set used in the World Championship of Backgammon, 2007, final match (red and yellow checkers with white and brown points). The board is painted cork and is in really great shape. The exterior is fine except for repairs that are mostly visible from close up, and also a tear that was repaired. The handle and latches are fine. There are two nice "marbelized" dice cups with the word "Cardinal" on the bottom, as well as an oversize doubling cube and two normal size dice.
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I put the old silver dollar in the pictured so you can see how large these items are. The are also all new, never used. The dice have one inch sides and weigh about 19.7 grams each. The swirly red doubling cube has 30mm sides and weighs about 28.6 grams. The two cups are very high quality, with felt interiors and trip ridges. They are what I would consider "professional" quality without doubt.
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Full set of huge (5 cm across), turned boxwood and ebony backgammon checkers (15 of each) in overall excellent condition. Early to mid 1900s. Recently, on eBay, a very small set (3/4 of an inch across) sold for $96.10 plus $8 for S&H in the USA (item number
110183487156). These are a "steal" at $150, and I'll include shipping/handling in the continental USA at no charge. I've never seen another set like these, and I've been looking at eBay auctions, estate sales, etc., for such items for about a decade now. First come, first serve - don't miss out!
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New high quality dice cups with trip ridge and felt interior. They also have a sort of non-slip grip quality to the exterior.
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