Hey Marc. CONGRATS on the new baby. Ive been out of the loop for a while recovering from my surgery a few months back so..... all the best!!! God Bless. Stay safe.
I like your choice of boards and agree they are all wonderful boards. Your passion for the game comes through-all experiences pkayers know how much better the game is on a great board. There are boards that sell for $50,000 and more that are no where near as good to play on! I have owned (and sold) hundreds of boards over the years and the one thing I am sure of is everyone has their own preferences. Some love the sound of wooden boards and others hate the sound. So I would encourage everyone serious about the game to do some research and find the board that suits your preferences and price range.
Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm for the game! I learned during the pandemic as a way to keep my very elderly Persian father-in-law engaged. Since he has been playing for 85 years, I never stand much of a chance. Still, I have come to love the game! Although I've played on the big boards, I love the smaller 'family" wooden boards, especially ones that have been in the family for 50+ years.
Hi Marc what a brilliant video. Along with the video from when you meet the local master of the Turkish market hall, this video must be among the best you have created. I love when you describe the materials of the boards and how the sound from the dice sounds, etc. The comparison with the sports cars was ingenious. Hopefully one day you will own all the sports cars you mentioned. You get 10 points out of 10 possible.
My favorite board - that I own - is a large Hector Saxe Parma. They don't make this color set anymore. It's an alligator style white/black/pink case. The triangles are black and light pink on a white surface and the dice bowl of leather are white. And with pink mother of pearl and solid black stones which are 4,5cm wide and almost 1 cm thick. I love this board for it's appearance (it draws a crowd!).
Fantastic collection, Marc! Thank you for sharing, along with little Frederik (right?). Really on point analogies to classic cars, especially the FMGammon / Aston-Martin comparison. You have a lovely home, too. Cheers! 🎲🎲✨👍🏼
@@Marcolino10DK hey Marc quick question on FM gammon I have been trying to make a purchase of one of their boards with no success. What's the secret? Their website will not accept transactions, I have wired money to their bank they claim they can't retrieve the money from the account how were able to get their products?
Hi Marc, I'm having a Casa de Gamao board made for me right now down in Brazil (with the 2" checkers) and can't wait to get it! That's my favorite of all the boards.
I have a Chrisloid board, they are excellent and UK retailers missed a trick here by not importing them, they would have been superb sellers. My playing surface eventually became too worn to be serviceable and UK board maker Bob Palmley put a new interior in for me shortly before his death.
Mobius: I wonder what the story is on why UK retailers don’t/can’t import Crisloid boards to the UK? Also, was the playing field on your Crisloid replaced with cork, or another material?
@@jjmckenna Justin, the original playing surface was felt and the points were printed onto the material, it was this print that became worn. Now that they are using cork i don't think you will have any problems. The board is otherwise almost the same as Marc's. I purchased it in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the shop was in a shopping mall called Bon Marche. Bob Palmley used a liquid repellent fabric for his interiors? I am wondering if EU trade rules had anything to do with the non-appearance of Chrisloid boards here in the UK??? To anyone in the UK looking for a quality board that will not break the bank I highly recommend a board by Wycliffe Brothers, absolutely superb boards for about £250.
@@mobiusklein9140 These boards, Wycliffe Brothers, seem to be like a Toyota Camry. They do the job well, at a surprisingly good price. This will probably be my next board.
In my opinion the Crisloid boards age extremely well, and is probably the only brand where vintage boards are more expensive than new boards. The patina of a vintage cork Crisloid board is just amazing. I am of the opinion that wear and tear doesn't make a board less valuable, quite the contrary. :) /Marc Olsen, responding from the Galaxy account.
Relatively new to the scene and got my first backgammon board ‘Topaz’ from a charity shop for £10. Also has a cork surface which makes it very comfortable to use
I would probably add an Aries (Ferrari Dino 246 GTS), a P40 (Porsche Speedster), a Hector Saxe (Mercedes S Class) and a Geoffrey Parker (Rolls Royce Phantom)!
Too bad Geoffrey Parker doesn’t have the same customer service as RR. Yes I own both. GP is a embarrassment to backgammon at this point. I hope Elliot reads this. Wonderful collection Marc. Great comparisons. Thanks for this video. Good stuff
I love your comparisons with the Aries, Hector Saxe and Geoffrey Parker. For the P-40, I have been thinking a lot about what car that is... I don't think it's a Porsche. I think it must be an American muscle car, but not a classic or vintage model... Maybe a new generation Ford Mustang, made with American steel :)
Of course everyone who knows me knows that I like to play Gammoner best. But you have shown here a nice, reasonable selection of luxury sets that represent almost every taste. Most importantly, I have always believed that our sport of backgammon needs likeable, even attractive people to promote and market it. You are an important contrast to many others and represent a fresh, young at heart sport with high intellectual standards. So we can show the world that backgammon is not only for lonely women and old men. Congratulations
I have all 3 of your books and they've made a big difference in my game. Subtle stuff that just doesn't get mentioned or written about. Thanks for sharing!
Very enjoyable presentation, Marc. My favorites of yours are: 1. FMGammon (I prefer the design with cube storage in between checkers), 2. Gammoner, 3.Gamao ( love this color combo), 4. Crisloid, 5.Helena WoodArt Tavla board, I loved the video of you playing in the market. I have rekindled my childhood love of the game and am taking a deeper dive into game play and strategy with your books along with the required classics from Magriel, Robertie, Crawford & Jacoby, Trice, Wolsey, Dwek, and Bagai. My next step is a nice luxury board. I very much enjoy your presence, energy, books, and contribution to the game. Thank you!
I really loved that 4th board. I bought the first two books which really helped my game. I just wish they were available on Kindle as I travel a lot. Thanks for sharing your collection Marc.
First of all, great that zou carry your child. It is just amazing! Kids, especially babys needs to be carried around. They want to be part of your life, instead of being laying down a baby bed. Besides, thx for showing your boards. :)
For a detailed look at a custom-designed Crisloid Tournament Attaché backgammon board, check out my unboxing and review video from July: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sORCa3HQAsc.html
Yes, Werner Dresden. I still have the Dresden board that was custom-made for my 40th birthday in 1998. I also still have (in storage in Holland) Gitte Dalgaard's vintage Dior board (Made by Aries) A brand new Baldessarini board, a small Gucci travel board, a brand new Asprey of London board, and an exclusive Egyptian custom-made MOP inlaid board with ivory & ebony checkers. A leather Dal Negro "Badrutt Hotel" board, an Etienne Aigner board and a small Tiffany board and several other leather boards of which I don't recall the names right now. Everything is for sale because nowadays I live in SE Asia and never play backgammon anymore.
@@BackgammonGalaxy I used to collect backgammon related stuff but gave away most items, including hundreds of BG books and dozens of bg boards when I moved to Thailand. Still have 7 different 1st editions (mint condition) of Magriel's "Backgammon" and several very rare bg related copper etchings, some are more than 300 years old. And a massive wooden bg chest with ivory inlays that's also more than 3 centuries old. I played many times in the Nordic Open in the 90's
I'm glad I stumbled upon this channel a few days ago. It's fantastic. Entertaining, interesting and you can pick up a lot of good tips because of the educational value.Thank you. These are some of the nicest boards I have ever seen. I enjoyed that presentation immensely. Not only is this guy a grandmaster at backgammon, he is also a grandmaster at comparisons. Comparing cool boards too cool cars. Come on man, that was a brilliant stroke in my opinion. You would think after playing for more then 4 decades, I would have at least 1 board such as the ones shown here. I don't. There is a good reason why. I have always been kind of rough on things. Sneakers, clothes, cars, tools, carpets, beds, you name, I can ruin it. The only thing I never ruined or broke in my entire life, is my daughter. But then again, she has my wild, crazy, open and personable personality so I'm sure paybacks are in my future than I'll be ruined. It's not like I buy cheap things either, I don't, and it's not because I'm dirty either. I don't know, it's just that, I'm rough on stuff. For example, I just bought a very nice and expensive couch for my entertainment room last week. I give that sucker 3 years, 4 tops. And NO, I will never put that clear plastic cocoon crap that looks a sleeping bag on any furniture. My Italian grandparents had that thick hard plastic on their chairs and couches. That shit still gives me nightmares.
@@BackgammonGalaxy Ahhh, very nice suggestion. I'll check it out so I have a better idea. I never thought about that "patina" angle, nice play. Like I said, "....you can pick up a lot of good tips because of the educational value." Thanks again.
....yes - the Porsche 911 looks exactly like the "Dreesen Boards" from the 80ies / 90ies. A top board at the time whic almost every topplayer was fancy of - and going for like 11hundred to 15hundred €
Nice collection for sure. Bakelite checkers on a Crisloid board would remind me of a 57 Chevy Bel Air. Especially Cherry and Butterscotch colors for checkers. Jade Green and Butterscotch are also nice. A guy from Boston has Jade Green & Butterscotch Bakelite checkers on an Element board. Very nice indeed!
Thanks for sharing Marc, great selection! My favorite is the Gamao...I love the 50mm size checkers and color selection. I'm curious if you know of any manufacturers that have the 50mm size but at a cheaper price? (I enjoy the game very much but I'm far from a professional).
Good choice! I am also very fond of the 50mm checkers, and maybe Backgammon Galaxy will manufacture a king size board one day with 50 mm checkers. /Marc Olsen
For a detailed look at an FMGammon VIP backgammon board, check out my unboxing and review video from October: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FHwJiE16kPU.html
Excellent video, Justin. Similar to, but more detailed than Marc's comments, and an interesting field with brighter colors and marbled checkers. Congrats on a lovely board!
Hey Marc great video. Really helpful. Just a quick question what is your opinion on Geoffrey Parker backgammon boards if you had to represent one like in the video. And how come you don’t have one in your collection. Thank you in advance. Keep up the wonderful work. Many greetings.
Geoffrey Parker is an old Rolls Royce limosine :) I would love to add a GP to my collection. But they are very expensive! And they are not so practical for tournament play, they are more like a special occasion board which functions as a beautiful piece of furniture in your house. /Marc
Great collection. Thank you for sharing. Any suggestion on best "luxury" type board to get for a couple of kids under ten? I want something nice that I will enjoy playing in, but I also don't want to be too upset if they drop it or bang it up!
Great collection sir! But where can I buy the "Porsche 911"? Like what you said, the sound/bounce of the dice is just perfect in both the shaker/board, them checker pieces are the most beautyful "one of a kind" I've ever seen, gorgeous board!!
Hello, Thank you for this superb presentation of your collection! Concerning the books I have the one that is translated into French.... is it planned that the others will also be translated into French?!! Thanks again for your videos Friendly Stéphane
We are not ruling out a potential french version of Pure Strategy and Cube Like a Boss, but at the moment it seems unlikely, at least in the near future.
Great fun video Marc...... I have the gammoner board, and I have to disagree though as I class mine as the Aston Martin and not the Porsche 🤔🤔⚅⚅⚅⚅ joking aside; all great boards I'm sure.
A great video. I fell in love with the Gamao board. Any chance to post their website? Cant find it. I am always getting directed to gammon.se? I like the color of your board especially. Appreciate your help. Cheers.
Marc’s is a VIP model, made of beech wood. I recently acquired the same model, with a different playing surface and checkers. The ‘wood effect’ you’re referring to is simply printed cotton felt. See my unboxing and review video below for a different look. These boards are available on eBay, and they are amazing! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FHwJiE16kPU.html
@@jjmckenna thanks, I have seen your vid - excellent. I asked because on the FM website I couldn't find the option to add the "wood effect", only different colours. And a really dumb question: when you buy a board, do you have to buy the checkers or are they included in the price of the board?
@@agerray - There are no ‘dumb questions,’ Raymond! All complete boards come with checkers, dice, a doubling cube, and even a scoreboard. The wood grain effect can be applied to any board because they are customizable. The board below comes with that cool wood grain effect, and is a nice board at a reasonable price (400€). You can also reach out to FM by email or via eBay, and they can guide you through the process of ordering a board exactly as you wish it to look. They are top-notch. Good luck! fmgammon.com/product-detail/ali-_-/32
The Neptune board is a high end luxury board, this will be 900 USD, shipping included worldwide. And we will also release a more economical Galaxy board in the future, for a lower price range, something like 2-300 USD.
Curious Marc where would one get Gamao sets from? I searched and only found them on classical games site, where they only had 2 50mm options I dont prefer...
Sindsyg flotte spil. Jeg har altid gerne ville lære at spille det men tænkte der nok ikke var nogen der spillede det så meget mere men jeg tog da fejl 😅 synd de er så “dyre” kunne være fedt med et stort og flot spil 😁
Hold øje med vores Galaxy Shop her i den nærmeste fremtid. Vi får nogle mere økonomiske boards, som stadig er en god størrelse til en lavere pris uden at gå på kompromis med spiloplevelsen!
That depends on how good you are :) The better you are the more often it happens. Without any skills at all, it is probably virtually impossible to have 0 errors in a single game, so you probably do have some skill.
@@Marcolino10DK - it must have been in the mid 90ies where a friend of mine had a severy complaint to Mr. Dreesen - his board, all over sudden, would not lie really 100% flat, allways jiggeling a little - unaccaptable.....and he never got it repaired, despite promises - and he'd paid 2.500 DM - so roughly 1.250 €.
It already arrived in late November and was sold out within a week and we only produced 50 boards. :( We are currently in the process of producing the next Galaxy board, which will hopefully be as good or even better than the Neptune board.
Hi Marc, just a quick question I am looking at wycliffe brothers® 23-inch I can get it at around 355 usd do you think this is a good price or do they go any lower I just bought a helena which costed me around 250 including shipping
Wait one month until Backgammon Galaxy launches two new boards! The new luxury board and a very economical board as well! It will be better than the ones you mentioned at the same price range! /Marc Olsen (from Galaxy account)
Very nice boards LOL what !? Backgammon boards have been produced in Greece & Turkey for hundreds, thousands of years ⁰ I have some boards that are hand carved from Olive Tree wood, the checkers & dice real bone, they will last hundreds of years & only become more beautiful as time goes by
Who are the dozen or so a-holes that 'disliked' this video? You made your way here, and you have a problem with a new father showing off his board collection while holding his napping infant? Get a life people!