Foreign Language Globes: Globes with Local Flavor Are Rare

One of the most disappointing moments for a globe collector is when he finds an interesting globe in an exotic foreign country and then realizes that the globe is labeled in English.

It is perplexing that foreign manufacturers and artists very commonly produce globes for domestic distribution with English labels. Certainly, the manufacturers and artists are hoping to appeal to tourists, but who on Earth goes to a foreign country and buys a globe for household reference?

I know from experience that packing a bulky globe into a suitcase or looking for a local shipping center in a third-world country are frustrating tasks. If a tourist is going to the trouble to purchase a globe in a foreign country, he has a very good reason. Chances are that anyone buying a globe in a foreign country is a diehard globe collector.

Globe collectors are always looking for something unusual, and English labeling strikes a major blow to a globe’s uniqueness. Which would you rather have in your collection: a globe from Thailand with English labels, or a globe from Thailand with Thai labels? For a collector, the answer is obvious.

To all of the globe manufacturers and artists of the world, if we want a globe for desk reference, we’ll head to Wal-Mart with $10 and buy one. When we buy a globe overseas, we want something that captures the essence of the country and its culture. I beg you, please produce unusual globes with local flavor. If you do, I promise you that globe collectors will snatch up your globes and pay any reasonable price for the privilege.