Globes are shipped from Chicago. Shipping and crating charges at cost. International shipping available. Free delivery in Chicago area.

DIAMETER:

Distance from one side of the globe to the other through the middle. This is the minimum opening (height and width) that your globe can fit through. TAKE NOTE! Nothing sours an afternoon like knocking down a wall to get your globe indoors!

SIMPLE GLOBE:

Includes a vertical base post coming straight out of the South Pole, normally up to 24” long. When motorized, globe spins on its North-South axis.

ARMATURE:

Just like the globe in a classroom. A semi-circular mounting arm capturing the globe at the North and South Poles, attaches to vertical base post at 23.5º from vertical, tilting globe to correct angle. Globe can be fixed to the armature or fitted with bearings to allow hand rotation on N-S axis. When motorized, the globe, armature and base post all spin together.

MOTOR:

Rotator sits under the base post, between the globe and the ground.
Speed and direction to your specifications: we recommend 1-2 RPM counter clockwise viewed from above. (Generally the larger the globe, the slower the RPM)
Variable speed, 240V wiring and outdoor rotators available. We use heavy-duty sign rotators built for us by a leader in the industry.

WEIGHT:
Being made of aluminum our globes are remarkably light, a 3’ diameter globe with no base weighs around 35 lbs, a 5’ weighs 75 lbs. and a 10’ diameter globe is around 550 lbs.
Fiberglass relief globes: A 2’ globe weighs 20 lbs, a 3’ weighs 45 lbs. and a five footer around 100 lbs.
FINISHES:

Unless powder-coated, aluminum globes come with a satin finish on the continents and a brushed finish on the tubing.

Powdercoating is available on globes up to 7’, after that automotive-type spray finishes can be used at additional cost.

There are hundreds of brilliant and durable powdercoat colors available, including metallics, metal-flake and textured finishes. ‘Copper Vein,’ which resembles aged bronze, remains our most frequently requested finish. Powder coating is economical, durable and environmentally sound.

WALL MAP FINISH:

Unpainted maps have a satin finish. Powder coating is available in clear, single colors or with background grid one color and continents in another color. We can also make them out of almost any material. We have even made them from wood.

OTHER OPTIONS:
Globes up to five feet in diameter can be fitted with a hand polished wood base complete with rubber feet, perfect for a globe you want to move around.

All options are customizable. Your imagination is the only limit.

Globes destined for placement in high traffic or unsupervised areas can be ‘beefed-up’ to help minimize wear. We can also cut 3-D letters or logos to wrap around your globe. See our portfolio for examples.

Due to the extensive custom options available it is not possible to usefully list prices, however starting costs for a simply mounted, unpainted (satin/brushed) globe are as follows.

Aluminum

  • 3’ – $7,200
  • 4’ – $9,650
  • 5’ – $12,400
  • 6’ – $15,800
  • 7’ – $19,950
  • 8’ – $28,300
  • 9’ – $44,500
  • 10’ – $59,400

Fiberglass relief globes

unpainted and unmounted

  • 2’ – $2,300
  • 3’ – $3,800
  • 5’ – $6,300

Wall Maps

Unpainted aluminum (satin finish)

  • 6’ x 3’ – $3,400
  • 10’ x 5’ – $5,700

Why are larger globes so much more expensive?

If you only buy one giant globe this year, make sure it’s made by Giant Globes Inc.

Though we say so ourselves, we are often struck by the beauty of our creations. We spend an inordinate amount of time, sweat and occasional bad language to achieve a high level of quality. It’s a fact that causes many of our clients to phone us exclaiming their delight when their globe arrives at its destination.

So no, the globes are not cheap.

We are often asked why the price rises so rapidly with size. Don’t blame us, blame Pythagoras! An increase of one foot in diameter results in a one foot increase in all three dimensions and a five foot globe has three times the surface area of a three footer.

We have actually replaced other fabricator’s globes that were badly made and not-so-cheaply bought, globes that the client was so unhappy with that they threw them away.