Lakefront: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

On April 20, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles1 Comment

Lakefront: Milwaukee, WI by Hannah Jablonski – HANmade Milwaukee – 500 pieces

This was an interesting puzzle mom got in a swap with another puzzler from her facebook puzzle enthusiasts group who lives nearby. We love having words to assemble, and the image is so unique and fun!

HANmade Milwaukee is a small company that produces souvenirs and gifts that are Milwaukee and Wisconsin themed. They don’t have a large catalog of puzzles, but we found their quality to be quite good and enjoyed assembling this puzzle. The pieces were a nice thickness with an excellent variety of shapes, and fit together very well. The image reproduction was clear and crisp, the random cut kept us on our toes, and the overall first impression was very good.

We’ve been having a tough time lately finding enough smaller piece count puzzles to do together on our visit day, so we were happy to find this one farther back in the stacks of puzzles to be done. I enjoy map puzzles and knew we’d have a good time with this one – I was right! (That doesn’t happen as often as I’d like to believe) It’s always so interesting to try out new companies and see how they compare; we were completely entertained with this puzzle and impressed with the quality. 👍

Whistler

On April 19, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

I’m always excited at the opportunity to try new companies and see what their puzzles are like. For the most part the new companies I’ve never heard of are makers of puzzles for children, and Butzi Games is one of them.

My first thought when looking at this puzzle was that it’s an interesting image choice for kids. It’s not your usual subject matter and made me wonder about the company. After doing a little research I found that the company was founded by a mom with a child who loves puzzles; she wanted to find puzzles that celebrated their hometown of Vancouver, and Whistler, their favorite place to ski. When she couldn’t find any puzzles like that she decided to make them herself and Butzi Kids was born.

The quality of this puzzle was pretty good with thick pieces that fit together very well. The chipboard is a little bendable though as the finished puzzle didn’t lie completely flat. That may be the result of Florida humidity or many, many assemblies; so I wouldn’t make a final judgement on quality until I’ve seen and assembled one that was brand new.

Cute puzzle, good quality, interesting subject matter, and a fun assembly – what more could you ask for?

Wild Animals

On April 18, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles2 Comments

Wild Animals is a beautiful puzzle with bright, fun colors that mom and I found much more challenging than we assumed. Even looking at it now I’m surprised that it was difficult, because it really doesn’t look as if it would be. Perhaps I need a new prescription for my glasses? 🤓

A Broader View puzzles are perfect for puzzling with two or more people, the “top” of the image is at the center of the puzzle. No matter where you are sitting while assembling these puzzles you’ve got the right perspective. The pieces are thinner than a premium puzzle, but still a respectable thickness and fit together quite well. All in all I find them good quality puzzles and I’ve enjoyed every one that I’ve done.

We spent a bit of time on our last visit day looking for smaller piece count puzzles that we wanted to do. We had several to choose from, but they weren’t “speaking to us”. At times I have to be in the right mood to work certain puzzles, and neither of us could find a puzzles that we both wanted to do. I’m sure it’s the same for other puzzlers out there, you have to be inspired or excited by the image or even by the pieces.

I stopped at a Tuesday Morning on the way home from physical therapy and found several smaller piece count puzzles that struck my fancy, so we’ll have plenty to choose from on our next puzzle day. 😎

The Bridesmaid

On April 17, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles2 Comments

This is one of those images that, when I saw it I gasped; I LOVE IT! There’s something about her face, and all that beautiful hair – gorgeous! I knew that her hair would be a challenge, but I was more than willing to give it a go. Pomegranate chooses the most interesting and beautiful artwork.

Puzzles like this one are the reason mom and I love the thrift stores. She finds amazing puzzles that are no longer being produced; and many times they’re from premium brands like Pomegranate. She cannot pass up any puzzle from this brand, no matter the image – it would offend her sensibilities to leave a Pomegranate on the shelves. The quality is so good that she knows we’ll enjoy the puzzle no matter the image. Luckily for me this artwork grabbed me and I enjoyed every piece, even that long, stunning hair. 😉

Pomegranate quality is excellent; from the thickness of the pieces to the fit and impressive image reproduction. Even their boxes have a premium quality feel – you know when you’re holding the box that you’ve got a top-notch puzzle in your hands. Pomegranate is also one of the few companies that show the entire image on the box lid, there is nothing covering any part of the picture; as a puzzler that is very much appreciated! Their catalog of puzzles focuses mainly on fine art and illustrations and has some of the most interesting and unique images around. They also have a series of beautiful 100 piece mini puzzles for adults with artists from Charley Harper to Renoir that come in a hinged metal box. There’s something for just about everyone.

I would guess about 90-95% of the thrift store puzzles we purchase are complete. You take a risk that you may have missing pieces, but for me the rewards outweigh the risk. We find delightful puzzles at amazingly discounted prices and can enjoy our hobby/obsession/addiction for a fraction of the cost of purchasing retail. Sometimes we find gems like this one, and sometimes we’re disappointed when a piece or two has flown the coop. But even with a missing piece we still get the enjoyment, entertainment, and health benefits that come with puzzle assembly – and that’s what it’s all about.

The Riding Lesson

On April 16, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

Another kids puzzle with a missing piece, but it’s really not that surprising. I know I wasn’t the best at taking care of my things when I was younger, so it’s no shock when there is a piece or two missing from kids puzzles we buy from the thrift stores.

Ravensburger puzzles hold up really well, this puzzle was well-loved and seemed a bit old. The pieces were still in excellent condition and the fit was still very good. You can tell sometimes by the inside of the box itself and the backs of the pieces if a puzzle has some age to it. I haven’t been able to find a date of manufacture for this puzzle, so it seems older to me but I can’t be sure.

It may seem silly that I enjoy assembling puzzles made for children, but I honestly don’t care. I’m not trying to impress anyone, and if putting together a puzzle is fun for me it shouldn’t matter who it’s made for; whether it has only 24 pieces or 2000 it makes no difference. All that really matters is the puzzling itself, it’s calming for me and makes me happy – that’s what’s important.