I did it! I actually finished the worst quality puzzle I’ve ever worked with. Sometimes for some reason I can’t explain I just have to finish a puzzle even if it’s horrible to work with and frustrating as hell. This was one of the those puzzles – I have no explanation for my stubbornness, I just had to finish it!

Kappa Books Publishers mainly deal with books, and I would encourage them to stick to publishing. This puzzle was terrible quality; the pieces were the thinnest I’ve ever worked with, and the fit was absolutely horrible with pieces seeming to fit everywhere. When the pieces were “connected” properly you could just pull everything apart with very little effort – even when the entire puzzle was complete I could pull gently on both sides and it would separate. Even the box was terrible quality; you had to cut it to open it, and once you did the bottom section just fell apart. It was made of extremely thin cardboard and the corners weren’t taped or held together in any way – once I lifted the lid it all just fell open.

The only good thing about this puzzle was the image reproduction. It seemed very true to the original and was adhered well to the chipboard. I’m sorry to say those are all my positives.

This was my favorite section of the puzzle to assemble, there’s just something innocent and adorable about it. I think the image itself is part of the reason I stubbornly refused to abandon this puzzle; I just wanted to see it complete.

I wasn’t planning on completing the dark blue sections at the top and the bottom, but by the time I was finished with the image itself it seemed a shame to give up. And I knew if I separated the pieces by shape it wouldn’t be too difficult. I was right, it wasn’t that bad; and I surprised myself by not needing hubby’s help to do it. I am pretty proud of myself for finishing it!

Please, if you love jigsaw puzzles, do not buy any manufactured by Kappa Books Publishers. The quality is terrible, and you deserve better.

Details:

• Title:                  First Trip to the Beauty Shop
• Artist:                Norman Rockwell
• Brand:               Kappa Books Publishers
• Piece count:     500 pieces
• Size:                  Approx. 18 x 11 in. (46 x 28 cm)
• Purchased:      Thrift store, unopened

Quality:

• Board:               Poor
• Cutting:             Fair
• Image:               Good
• Box:                   Thin, flimsy, very small
• Fit:                     Poor; extremely loose, pieces seem to fit everywhere
• Puzzle Dust:     Small amount
• Piece cut:          Grid cut
• Piece shapes:   Some variety
• Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays mostly flat

Overall Rating:      Poor quality, not recommended