The hit series “The Queen’s Gambit” has caused sales of chess games to spike by as much as “triple digits.”
“Ever since The Queen’s Gambit launched, our chess sales have increased triple digits,” Elizabeth LoVecchio, vice-president of marketing at Spin Master, shared with NPR recently about the Netflix series. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Netflix hit ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ causes chess set sales to spike https://t.co/CL7k8hmUWc pic.twitter.com/DNyQpHKgJ6
— New York Post (@nypost) November 23, 2020
The Toronto-based company, Spin Master, owns about seventy percent of the market share in the United States for such classic games a backgammon, checkers and chess. (RELATED: Macy’s Cancels 160-Year-Old Christmas Tradition Due To Pandemic)
Mary Higbe, director of marketing at Goliath Games shared with the outlet that what’s happening with chess sales since the show came out is “unprecedented” and the company anticipates “sales rising” even “further.”
“Our October sales for chess were up 178% over the same period last year,” Higbe shared, adding that by the end of last month those “sales” were up by “1,048%.”
According to the report:
Chess sets sales are rising in the secondary market as well. eBay registered a 215% increase in chess set and accessory sales since The Queen’s Gambit hit Netflix, with shoppers seeking out wooden chess sets nine times more than plastic, electronic or glass ones, according to an eBay spokesperson. Toy analyst Gerrick Johnson now warns that demand will outstrip supply.
“Orphaned at the tender age of nine, prodigious introvert Beth Harmon discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA,” a description about the popular series read on IMDb. “But child stardom comes at a price.”
Check out this trailer we found for the show on the streaming site which has chess references throughout.
WATCH: