By Trey Thomas
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| Buying a globe can be a huge task. |
If you’ve finally made the decision to buy
a world globe of your own, whether for personal use or as a gift perhaps, then
we’d like to congratulate you. A world globe is a great addition to any home or
office, serving as both a beautiful decorative piece and a useful, if not
whimsical reference tool in today’s digital age.
However, you should know that buying a
world globe entails more than just going to a bookstore or mall. No, with the
sheer variety of globe sizes, themes, materials, colors and more, you’re going
to have your work cut out for you.
Here are some factors to consider when
picking out a world globe.
Determine
How the Globe will be Used
Besides serving as educational and learning
tools, world globes also excel as decorative and entertainment pieces. As such,
you’ll need to determine what you want with your globe before buying one. Do
you want a globe purely as a reference tool, perhaps to help you teach your
kids about the world? On the other hand, do you want a globe that will serve as
a focal point in the room it’s placed in?
Think
of Features
Not all globes are the same, with certain
spheres coming with features that make them unique from each other.
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| Typical Classroom Globe. |
Educational
Globes
Educational
or learning globes for example, are best suited for teaching learners the
fundamentals of geography and cartography. However, educational globes can have
many differences between them, with many globes focused on political boundaries
and others major historical events like discoveries and ocean crossings.
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| Example of a Gemstone Globe |
Decorative
Globes
And then there are globes that have a clear
aesthetic appeal to them. These globes are not only great reference tools, but
also exude the beauty and elegance that make them perfect decorative items. These
globes include gemstone
globes, which are made from semi precious stones, illuminated
globes, which have a light inside the orb that illuminates it from the
inside out, and even old world style
globes, which have an antique-like finish.
Should you prefer to buy globes with a
decorative slant to them, just remember that these orbs are often more
expensive than educational globes due to the materials they use, which can
range from precious to semi precious stones, wood, and even silver and gold.
Be sure to check back on this blog for Part
II of this article series.
