Review: Albuquerque Balloons

This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Albuquerque Balloons – Masterpieces (Masters of Photography) – 500 pieces

Albuquerque Balloons went together very quickly and was easier to do than I imagined. The last of the space saver puzzles for review. To my surprise it was a fun assembly and the image was excellent for puzzling, just enough challenge, but not too easy.

I can report after having done 3 space saver puzzles that the quality is quite good. The pieces are thick and feel good in your hand; they fit together well with a random cut that makes for an interesting assembly. They have a slightly shiny finish which can cause glare, but otherwise the image reproduction is beautiful. Two out of the three puzzles I assembled had obvious piece shapes showing in the finished puzzle; and while it isn’t ideal, it doesn’t really detract from enjoyment of the assembly.  Click here to see all the space saver puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse.

I’ve been pretty impressed with the Masterpieces puzzles I’ve done lately, the quality is quite good. They have a nice catalog to choose from and their puzzles are extremely reasonably priced – which is good for a tightwad like me! Check out all their puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse by clicking the link above – all Masterpieces puzzles are on sale at Puzzle Warehouse now through August 15, 2017 – 25% off, no coupon required!

I have actively been avoiding all hot air balloon puzzles for quite some time; it just seems so overdone – every company seems to have one or more puzzles of hot air balloons. I hate following the crowd and doing a thing just because other people are doing it – I’m a bit of a rebel. Turns out, I’m a rebel without a cause – at least where balloon puzzles are concerned! I enjoyed the puzzle in spite of myself and found that it was a superb image for puzzling. Will I ever learn? Maybe, maybe not. 🙂

Albuquerque Balloons is no longer available at Puzzle Warehouse, but you can find space savers and Masterpieces puzzles by clicking the links above. Or you can check out the pages and pages of hot air balloon puzzles – there are so many beautiful puzzles to choose from – the wishlist is still growing!!

 

I received this product at no charge in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.

Review: Neuschwanstein Castle

This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse
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Neuschwanstein Castle – Masterpieces (Masters of Photography) – 500 pieces

Neuschwanstein Castle was a quick, fun puzzle that had better quality than I thought it would. I honestly don’t understand the fascination with this castle, there are so many puzzles of it from so many different companies! It’s an interesting looking castle in a beautiful setting, I guess because it makes for a pretty picture? Whatever the reason, it does make a lovely image and it was an enjoyable puzzle to assemble.

This puzzle is part of the Masterpieces Space Savers collection. Small boxes approximately half the size of a regular 500 piece box designed to put a lot of puzzle fun in a little box for a little price. The puzzles are either $4.99 or $5.99 at Puzzle Warehouse, which is a great price for a 500 piece puzzle if you ask me. I was impressed with the quality of this puzzle, and I’m looking forward to working on a couple other space saver Masters of Photography puzzles that I have to review. I’m hoping they’re all nice quality like this one. Click the link above to see all the space saver puzzles available from Puzzle Warehouse.

I was surprised by the pieces of this puzzle, they seemed very nice and not what I expected from the space savers box. I assumed (incorrectly) that the pieces would be thin; they were thicker than expected and fit together very well. The puzzle was random cut and had a nice matte finish that didn’t cause glare.

My only issue was the obvious piece cut in the finished puzzle. It makes it a little more difficult to see the details of the picture through all the piece shapes, but doesn’t really detract from the enjoyment of the assembly. I’m reserving judgement until I complete more of this series for comparison.

The space saver boxes are all one piece with a top that flips up. Not ideal for keeping the puzzle after you’ve assembled it; it would be too easy to lose a piece. I would recommend using a zip top plastic bag to store the pieces in the box after it’s been assembled. Also, because the box is smaller the image of the puzzle is smaller – it could be difficult if you need to reference the picture on a puzzle with more detail. On the plus side, these small boxes are perfect for travel.  Throw it in your suitcase for a vacation or just a weekend away and you’ve just packed some quality family time. 🙂

I enjoyed Neuschwanstein Castle even though it isn’t an image I would normally choose. It’s a good quality puzzle that was an entertaining assembly, definitely recommended.👍

 

I received this product at no charge to facilitate this review, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.