Are You Puzzled by Jigsaw Puzzles?

"A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces. Each piece has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture." -- From Wikipedia

Originally, jigsaw puzzles were created on wood and then cut with a jigsaw. (Therefore, giving the name jigsaw.) John Spilsbury, a mapmaker and engraver from London, England, is widely believed to have made the first commercial puzzles in about 1760.

Puzzles today are made out of cardboard which is naturally much easier to mass produce. A picture is enlarged and glued onto the cardboard. The whole picture is then sent through a press which cuts the pieces. A 1,000 piece puzzle might require 700 tons of force to actually cut the puzzle.

Click here to buy Ravensburger's
1665 World Map 3,000-Piece Puzzle
from Amazon

It is hard to find the answer to this question and the following information was gathered from stories and discussions rather than from scientific facts. Loosely, puzzlers can be broken into the following three groups:

The first group includes people who assemble puzzles as a hobby. They attend competitions and often participate. They are keen!

The second group includes those who buy an occasional puzzle and generally work them during cooler weather. Often, they are worked as part of a family tradition. My family usually has a Christmas puzzle going during the holidays.

The final group includes 'casual buyers' or those who might purchase a puzzle when they happen to see one that has a topic they interested in. They usually are not brand-specific and pick puzzles under 1,000 pieces

Jigsaw puzzles are a great low-tech way to unwind and relax. A hobby that is not too expensive and can be done alone or in a group.

A 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, this one has been, at times, difficult to find brand new. As I write this, however, Amazon has two of these puzzles that are priced extremely well.

The pieces in this jigsaw are random shaped, made from thick puzzle board and have a protective glaze on them. The completed puzzle measures 24 Inch by 30 inches.

Click here to check out
Springbok's Balloon Mania jigsaw puzzle
on Amazon.

Puzzles come in many different sizes but most popular are the 300-piece, 500-piece, 750-piece and 1,000 piece puzzles with the largest puzzle having 24,000 pieces. (More details shown below!) The number of pieces is not exact, but rather just over the number indicated on the box. Children's jigsaw puzzles also come in a variety of sizes and are usually age rated according to difficulty.

Amazon names an endless number of manufacturer's of puzzles and counts approximately 50 as 'top' brands.

Puzzles come in an endless lits of themes, some of which include bridges, lighthouses, buildings and monuments; funny-shaped; fictional and fantasy characters; animals and inspects; photomosaic; panoramic; geography; waterfalls, lakes and rivers; landscapes and seascapes; double-sided; alphabet, numbers and shapes; movie and television; vehicles; holidays and glow-in-the-dark.

Tricky puzzles abound. Some include double-sided, three-dimensional, puzzle globes and puzzle box puzzles. These puzzles can be made of wood, cardboard or styrofoam. I believe it is the presence of these new puzzles that is making the jigsaw puzzle popular again.

This puzzle is a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle with random shaped pieces made from thick puzzle board that has been give a high gloss finish. Sometimes this puzzle can be hard-to-find but is available currently through Amazon.

Click here to order Hannah's Hat Shoppe
by Springbok from Amazon.

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An avid shopper, I love to search for and find bargains. I use my bargain-hunting skills to find treasure for you and I frequently manage to track down great finds for puzzle fans. I generally only sell new, factory-sealed puzzles. They may be recent and straight from the store or they may be vintage, collectible puzzles. You can see my latest discoveries, in my eBay store, Treasures By Brenda. If you are a jigsaw puzzle fan, you may want to go directly to my jigsaw puzzle page.

When you shop at my eBay store, you can rest assured that customer service is my top priority. I am here, ready and willing to answer your questions or process your order. You will find me quite willing to combine items to help you save money on shipping. Two jigsaw puzzles usually ship for not much more than the cost of one. (Unless you are overseas.) If it is not clear in the description, please just ask for a shipping quote!

I stand by my auctions with a 100 percent money-back guarantee. I am willing to give you a full refund, including shipping, if the item is not as described.

Every item that I ship is insured and shipped the business day after payment is received. I do everything I can to get your puzzle(s) to you as quickly as possible.

I have met many nice people through my eBay business and now I am meeting more through Squidoo. I love hearing your stories about the items you have purchased, what you collect and what it is that you are looking for. It is these stories that make selling on eBay rewarding.