Best Place to Purchase Large Modern World Wall Maps?

October 19, 2011 10:39 AM

My wife and I are looking to purchase a very large world map to hand on my wall (most likely a political map showing country boundaries, capital cities, etc.). We also would like to get several smaller maps of countries we've visited over the years. What are your recommendations for the best online map stores (or brick and mortar stores in NYC)?

We would like the map to be currently up-to-date if possible (i.e. South Sudan) and we are not interested in antique maps at all. Also, I dislike Mercator projection maps, so we would be looking for some other presentation. Apologies if this has been asked and answered before, but I couldn't find anything directly relevant in my search of AskMe.

posted by Falconetti to Shopping (10 answers total)

a free, and quite large, map of the world (unsure of projection) comes free with the purchase of a subscription to National Geographic.
posted by sexyrobot at 10:44 AM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Future Maps are great and they are actually (non--Mercator) maps of the present, not the future. Probably best to email them about South Sudan, as I'm not sure if they are a up to date as that. I have one of the very large ones (1meter x 2 meters), and it's metallic so I can put magnets all over it (it comes with a few magnets). Check both their "Future Maps" and "Color Maps" categories, they include different features (geological etc). I shipped internationally from them and had no trouble. They can also customize and fit a map onto wallpaper so you can make it any size you like.
posted by cushie at 10:48 AM on October 19, 2011

raven maps are gorgeous, though they may not have what you're looking for precisely.
posted by juliapangolin at 10:50 AM on October 19, 2011

National Geographic has been using the Winkel Tripel projection for their world maps since 1998; their mural map is 9' 2" × 6' 4". I doubt it's been updated for South Sudan yet, but it's the cheapest ($100) biggish map I can think of offhand.
posted by mcwetboy at 11:12 AM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Also recommending National Geographic maps.
posted by Rash at 11:13 AM on October 19, 2011

Slight derail, but I have a 36"x56" copy of this south-up map and I love it. Not my favorite projection, but the flipped view is a great conversation piece. ODT maps has a cruddy website but some good maps.

Also used to really confuse college stoners who wandered into my apartment back in the day...
posted by Wretch729 at 11:42 AM on October 19, 2011

I don't know your budget, but maps can get expensive. If you're comfortable getting them printed, yourself (or know of a guy/gal who is), you can get some fantastic maps done very cheaply. I've helped people through this process before, and people are near-universally pleased with the results.

Feels great when someone desperately wants, but can't afford, a $300 map from NatGeo (or wherever), but can (with the help of a local print shop) make something nearly identical for $60, or something completely serviceable for $30.

I run a website about large maps. An enormous, full-res file of every map -- in most cases more than sufficient for printing at very large size -- is available for download on each page. There are around 2,700 maps in the collection right now. The link is in my profile, if you're interested.
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 11:51 AM on October 19, 2011 [10 favorites]

We have a very large Nat Geo map. We got it on Amazon.
posted by gnutron at 12:33 PM on October 19, 2011

Something we are planning to buy sooner or later is the ScratchMap. It's a map that you hang on your wall (32.2" W x 22.9" H) and you scratch off all places you've been to. From the website:

Track your travels with a handsome scratch-off-where-you've-been map that charts globetrotting in a fun, colorful and innovative way. Scratch off the areas you've visited to reveal adventurous pops of color and local facts that turn traveling into a "domestic" treasure hunt of on-the-fly geography lessons. Its brilliant colors and worldly charm is sure to enliven any room--just be sure to keep a coin handy for easy scratching! Made in China.
posted by Tarumba at 3:44 PM on October 19, 2011

In NYC, check out Argosy, on 59th St. between Park & 4th Aves.

I could browse their huge selection of prints for hours. I have browsed their huge selection of prints for hours (prints also available online):
http://www.argosybooks.com/shop/argosy/index.html
posted by inkytea at 12:49 PM on November 3, 2011