Thought it would be a good idea to document the last year (since 5 May 2017) in my life as I've started my 55th year today. In a word - EBAY. Ebay has brought me in touch with several of the chess-sets I've hoped to collect, especially the ones that stood out for their use in World Championships and Olympiads. Then there were those that were representative of the countries they were used in. So no ornamental sets. Yes it did cost a small fortune but then it's 1 item off my bucket list so... Hunting them down is perhaps the real joy..like finding a pearl on the beachfront. Then there is the bidding process which of course is nerve-wracking as the time ticks down to the final second. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose by a mere $1! But then over the past year I've learnt to live and let live..there are always other bargains if you search hard enough. The Drueke Player's Choice..a rare gem that is being reproduced by its owner this year as more colle...