I’ve got two puzzles in progress at the moment, I can’t seem to get my brain to settle on just one. This first one mom found unopened at the thrift store for 39 cents. The box is extremely small for a 500 piece puzzle which means the pieces are quite small as well. Once we opened the box, we saw that the quality was less than optimal – very thin pieces with an unbelievably loose fit. Ugh. I started assembling it at least 2 times before and put it away because I wasn’t in the right mood to deal with the poor quality.
I’m not sure why I’m in the mood for it now, but at the moment I really want to see this puzzle assembled; partly because nowhere on the box is a picture of the entire puzzle image – frustrating! And if I’ve got 2 puzzles going I can take a break from the horrible quality of this one and work on one that isn’t as annoying
The image on this puzzle is much brighter and easier to work with, and even though it’s a Ceaco puzzle the quality is many times better than the Norman Rockwell puzzle (which is made by Kappa Books Publisher). The fit is much nicer and the pieces aren’t nearly as thin.
So I’ve got 2 puzzles going, but for some reason neither of them is my newest wooden puzzle that was my anniversary present. I’m not sure when my weird old lady brain will be in the right mood for that one. I think it’s partly because I’m missing working on puzzles with mom; I haven’t been able to have any puzzle/visit days with her for the last 3 weeks. Every puzzle is much more fun when mom and I work together, and a new wooden puzzle is something we both love to assemble.
We won’t be able to have our visit day this week either, so perhaps I’m just too bummed about that to start on the new Liberty puzzle. We’ll have to wait and see I suppose.
My Jigsaw Journal 
Oh no! Where’s your momma? 🙂
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She’s here, I just have been physically unable to get over to her house and puzzle. I have an appointment this week requiring over 6 hours of travel that I will still be recovering from this Friday, so no puzzling this week either. 😪
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Ahhh….so sorry to hear that you’ve been feeling so poorly. I hope the 6 hour travel will be well worth it if you can get some relief from your pain. Is there a surgical procedure that’s not too risky that might improve your quality of life? 🙂
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Nothing’s been available so far; we’ll have to wait and see what the new doctor says. They’d better be worth the pain that travel causes me – besides a whole day of puzzling lost! 😉
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I will keep my fingers crossed for you for sure! I hope you socked it to the company who caused this to happen to you. For sure they deserve to be held accountable.
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Thanks Penny!
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oh, my roommate and I have done a few poor quality puzzles and they are frustrating! I picked them up from a dollar store after getting one there where the quality wasn’t great but not as bad as the latter ones I picked up. The illustrations on them were so cool that we decided to save them with puzzle glue and that was another trial as they came apart while brushing on the glue! But they now decorate our dining room and are a testament to our persistence. 🙂
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Well done! Sometimes I’m in the mood, and sometimes I can’t be bothered dealing with the bad quality. The Norman Rockwell might take me a while, but I’ll get there. 🙂
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39 cents is quite a deal for a thrift store puzzle, but for me, the puzzle rapidly looses any “value” since the puzzle quality is so poor. I say chuck the 39 cent puzzle in the recycling bin and start a new puzzle. Pick a puzzle that you’ve assembled before and it is one of your favorites.
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Normally I would Jane, but for some reason I have a bee in my bonnet about seeing the finished puzzle. It may take a while, but I’m determined. Luckily I can work on other puzzles when the quality of that one is too annoying. 🙂
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I’ve also recently discovered your blog and wish you would share more close-up photos of your completed puzzles.
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That might be a good idea, thanks Jane!
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Stacey, I hope the doctors help you find some relief this week so that you can get off the “Puzzler Disabled List” soon. I can imagine how frustrated you must be feeling.
That said, that little Norman Rockwell puzzle is only going to add to your frustration. I tried one in that series last month or early this month and could get nowhere with it. In addition to the problems you mentioned, it seemed to me that pieces fit just fine in more than one location…and since mine had a dark background, that was a huge headache. I put it up and moved on.
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I’m still going to try the center part of the puzzle, the actual artwork. I highly doubt I’ll be able to do the “background” at the top and bottom, but we will see. There’s something in my stubborn brain that wants to get it done – I have no explanation why. You may be right though; it may be too headache inducing.
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And thanks for your kind wishes Sam, they are much appreciated. 🙂
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I want to find puzzles that were incomplete so I can complete them. Please tell me how to do this.
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I’m not sure what you’re asking for Natalie. If you want to find puzzles that may be missing pieces you might try your local thrift or charity shop. But there are no guarantees that they’d be incomplete.
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