Summer Surprise by Mary Ann Vessey – MasterPieces – 500 pieces
Summer Surprise was not the best quality puzzle, but for some odd reason I really wanted to finish it. I have no explanation for my completion obsession other than I found the assembly to be somewhat entertaining even though the quality was lacking.
I’m surprised at the variation in quality that I’ve found from MasterPieces. This puzzle was quite thin, there were no variety in piece shapes at all, and it was grid cut. I’ve also worked several of their space saver puzzles and found the quality to be quite good; with good thickness, a random cut, and very nice images. Their EZ grip large piece puzzles have excellent quality with very thick pieces that fit together wonderfully and lovely image reproduction. From “meh” all the way up to “excellent” – hmmm, what is the reason for such fluctuation? Perhaps their different puzzle lines are produced by different manufacturers?
I liked the image well enough, thought it doesn’t wow me. It took me a couple of days to finish, and was entertaining at times. I wouldn’t recommend this puzzle though – the quality just wasn’t up to snuff.
Fancy Nancy by Robin Preiss Glasser – Briarpatch – 100 pieces
When mom showed me this puzzle from her latest thrift store finds I was excited to assemble it, even though it’s a kids puzzle. I absolutely love the image, that little girl is so me!
This was my second Briarpatch puzzle, and the quality of this one was completely different than the first. They were both thrift store purchases, so you have to take into account that they’ve been assembled before – possibly many times. My first puzzle from this brand was an I Spy puzzle, mom and I were impressed with the quality of the pieces; they were thin but very sturdy and fit together quite well. This puzzle also had thinner pieces, but they were easily bent, didn’t fit together well and the finished puzzle didn’t lie flat. A bit of a disappointment for such a fun image. 😦
Four missing pieces was quite a bummer. Not only because I wouldn’t be able to pass this puzzle along to the school my daughter works for, but because I liked the image so much and would love to have seen the entire puzzle assembled. That’s the gamble with used puzzles though. Wait – does that mean my sweet little old lady mom and I who love buying thrift store puzzles are degenerate gamblers? Nice!
I’ve never read the Fancy Nancy books, but she looks like a little girl who’s slightly weird (not a negative if you ask me) and loves who she is even if that’s different than everyone else. That’s the impression I get from this image, and it makes me smile every time I look at that adorable face. We weird girls have to stick together and be ourselves no matter what – you go girl!
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 by Michael Searle – A Broader View – 500 pieces
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 by John Everett Millais – Pomegranate – 500 pieces
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.
My Jigsaw Journal 