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Enjoy your stay Thanx for visiting |
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~ Jigsaw Puzzles ~
I am an avid connoisseur of quality jigsaw puzzles. I collect them. I already have twenty-five puzzles and the collection grows by five to ten puzzles a year. I am very fussy about piece quality and happen to collect only one specific brand name of puzzles which are manufactured by a greeting card company. They are the best quality in the world as far as I am concerned, and can withstand repeated assembly and disassembly better than most other brands. I have actually done one puzzle five times and the pieces still fit like they were newly pressed. This puzzle is ten years old already. That kind of puzzle, to me, is a quality product worth collecting.
I have puzzles that vary in piece size, ranging from fifty pieces all the way up to two thousand pieces. I have an assortment of five hundred piece puzzles, one thousand piece puzzles, fifteen hundred pieces and two thousand pieces. Try doing a two thousand piece puzzle all by yourself sometime, without any help. You'll pull your hair out first, if you don't have patience. If you're a little lucky and seem to have a knack for jigsaw puzzles, a two thousand piece puzzle will take anywhere from three to six weeks (one hundred hours), minimum. It is not a small project.
Jigsaw puzzles can be your worst nightmare and your favourite pastime all in the same breath. Some of the better puzzles are down-right nasty and cruel with the way their pieces interlock. Even though the final picture looks absolutely stunning, getting there is the whole battle. Jigsaw puzzles teach you patience and tenacity. They are not very easy but the enjoyment is worth it. You may find that you can only spend one to two hours a day at most, doing a puzzle that is already underway, but that is okay. There is no hurry and sometimes a "fresh" mind on a new day will find pieces that you were looking for yesterday. Patience is the key. Let the puzzle grow over time and try not to rush it. You will only get more and more frustrated and eventually put the puzzle away, unfinished again. You have to find your way to see the puzzle through to completion. It is the only way to do them successfully. The feeling of pride and accomplishment afterwards is well worth the wait. You will see.
I recommend that you start small. Try a five hundred piece puzzle first before you consider any of the larger versions. You have to "work up" to the larger puzzles through practice and experience. Find a puzzle that has a stunning picture that you find very attractive. Don't settle for mundane landscape scenes, or those traditional landmarks; go for something really inspirational. How about PEZ dispensers, various kinds of lifesavers or model trains ? There are some fabulous puzzles out there if you look hard enough. The colours are really quite true to life and if you spend a little bit more money, you will appreciate the quality of the pieces when you are assembling the picture.
Where to find good puzzles? That is actually quite easy but you have to be patient with the searching process as well. Many gift stores and specialty card shops carry "better quality" puzzles, but they may not have a wide selection to choose from. You may have to try several stores or go back to the same stores over and over again for a few months. Puzzles are traditionally seasonal items and the good stock comes in the fall (just in time for indoor recreation when the weather turns cold and just around the corner from Christmas). The stock turn-over is usually quite slow so the same puzzles may sit on the shelf for awhile before the store will order new items. You may be lucky and find a puzzle that inspires you the first time you enter a particular store.
Garage sales are great for finding jigsaw puzzles. I have found half of my collection rummaging through boxes at local garage sales on Saturday mornings. They can be an absolute gold mine if you happen to run across the right house and people. The beauty about garage sale puzzles is that they are dirt cheap. I have picked up really good puzzles for $2 (sometimes two for $3). Don't forget that I look for only one brand of puzzles. I am very particular about my jigsaw puzzles. I will turn aside all other brands, even if they are only $1. I know the quality of the brand I am loyal to, and I also know that many of these puzzles retail for $20 to $30 brand new. I know the value of the bargain.
One of the neat things about jigsaw puzzles is that everyone does like doing them (whether they admit it or not). Not too long ago, I had a fifteen hundred piece puzzle sprawled out over my dining room table for a month. Every single time a friend came over, they would look at the puzzle and start playing with a few pieces to see if they could match up anything. It all seems to start so innocently and nonchalantly (take it or leave it). Before you know it, they have a chair at the table and are working away at it, almost oblivious to the fact that they did come to see me. Eventually, I get hooked into coming over and doing some more pieces and before you know it, our whole evening has revolved around the damn puzzle. It is very addictive. Be careful who you invite over.
Jigsaw puzzles make great gifts for children. They also make great gifts for your "hobbyist" friends and family members. I ask for puzzles at Christmas and usually receive at least one puzzle (and the brand I collect). Buy one for yourself and tuck it in the closet if you can't find the time right now. There will be a boring rainy day or a snowy day that will be just perfect for working on puzzles and on that day you will probably pull it out and start working on it. You will find the time, because if anything else, your curiosity and intrigue will get the better part of you.
Pure and simple...
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- This Storyworx page updated May 10th, 1998 -