[1440]from "S27"--27 February 2005:
RE: tuco miniature puzzle, tripl-thick interlocking, " Camp Life "
I am unable to find the above puzzle. I also have 1 more of the same, titled " Bone Fishing ". Could you possibly help to identify the years made? Thank you,
"S27"
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from Jim McW--2 March 2005:

We feel pretty sure that TUCO didn't start making interlocking puzzles until some time in the 1950's. Therefore, we tend to date all the TUCO mini-puzzles we've seen to the 1950's or 1960's.
Thanks,
Jim McW
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[1441]from "DHW"--1 March 2005:
Hi....I was lucky enough to find your website and did a search but haven't found any information about a wooden puzzle I came upon recently (I've also spent some time looking elsewhere on the internet). Help!
My puzzle is round and measures 7 1/2" across/about 5/16ths" thick. It is made of 'layered' wood. There are no manufacture signs/marks...but it is stamped "Made in Holland" on the bottom. The outside edge is painted red. All of the following are pieces: a Shell tanker truck (doesn't say Shell Oil), tow truck, looks like a garbage truck with "G.R.D." on it, an ambulance, a bus, an 18-wheeler, a truck with "PTT" on it, a car, a Shell sign, a house shaped piece with a man reading the newspaper, a motorcycle police vehicle, two trees and one piece that looks like a couple of saw horses. You can remove the pieces from the circle and play with them...actually 'driving' the cars thru the garage. It is adorable and the images are quite vivid still....I am thinking it's from the 50's. Any thoughts? Thank you!!!
"DHW"
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from Jim McW--3 March 2005:
That really sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it.
Can anyone identify this puzzle or its maker?
Thanks,
Jim McW
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from "Geert Bekkering"--1 May 2005:
Hello Jim...

The puzzle... is Dutch and early 1950’s. The brand name is SIMPLEX. If there were no hole in the card bottom, this copy would be some years older than the ones with a circular hole in the centre of the strawboard bottom. The " PTT " sign is for the Dutch Postage and Telephone Company. These puzzles are collectible in the Netherlands, since there is a cross interest from the miniature car collectors. SIMPLEX started in 1945, close to Eindhoven, and worked on till it was taken over by Fisher Price in about 1977, when they closed the factory.
Since, a limited production did continue by the disabled.
The disc puzzles were made from the cut-out pieces of Philips radio receivers, so they were scrap wood made useful, so short after the war when there was shortage of all kind of materials. In this design the pieces are all interlocking in the ‘Escher style’. That was done up till about 1960. Later puzzles did not have this. The full story of SIMPLEX is in my 1988 Dutch book on jigsaw puzzle history, which can still be bought through me, at 12 dollars. I will send a translation of the text into English by email.

I hope this all helps....

Puzzle greetings,

Geert Bekkering
g.h.bekkering@home.nl
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from Jim McW--4 May 2005:
I knew the puzzle sounded familiar! Folks, you can see a picture of Geert's great book on our SALE page. We heartily recommend his book (and his price is great, too!).
Thanks,
Jim McW
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[1442]from "B1"--1 March 2005:
Hey
I'm in need of help to find out how old this puzzle is. It is a Warren Built Rite puzzle. On the box it has JUNIOR PICTURE PUZZLE 100 INTERLOCKING PIECES. The picture is of two boys in a boat holding a string of fish up. The name on the picture says STRINGING ALONG. I wasn't able to find this one puzzle on this site, maybe someone can help me.

Thanks
"B1"
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[1443]from "J2"--2 March 2005:
I have a small puzzle by Big Star entitled Country Store -- it contains 250 pieces and is listed as no.1010--wondering when it was made
"J2"
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from Jim McW--3 March 2005:

Dear puzzler:
If you had gone to our Big Star page, you would have already seen that they were produced during the 1930's and, possibly, the early 1940's.
Thanks,
Jim McW
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from "J2"--3 March 2005:
SORRY for the bother--went to the site but I'm not very good at this computer thing!
"J2"
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from Jim McW--2 March 2005:

"J2":
My apologies for my curt and not very appropriate tone. I wrote in haste.
"Country Store", or "The Country Store", is from a work by Manning De Villeneuve Lee. Here's a picture which we have previously posted on Page 3 (1940's) of our TUCO section.: "The Country Store"
It has also appeared in a Perfect Picture puzzle and, I would suspect, in several other lines of the 1930's and 1940's. I hope this is the puzzle picture of which you speak (although not the same line of puzzles).
Thanks,
Jim McW
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[1444]from "JT"--2 March 2005:
Dear Sirs,

How can I find out the aproximate production-date of two Parker Brothers Pastime Puzzles?
1 "Arab Chiefs", 150 pcs, sawed by 121, polished and finished by Ho(?).
2 "The Meeting of the Picknick Club", 60 pcs, sawed by 4, polished an finished by H.
The boxes, though different in size, are identical, just as the red stamped lables are.
I searched, using all possible entries, but scored no hits on the internet.
I had never heard of PBPP untill they were given to me recently. I became interested instantly.
Hope you have suggestions,
Yours truly,
"JT"
The Netherlands.
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from Jim McW--3 March 2005:
Such titles could have been made numerous times over the years. Usually, the Pastime puzzles had a label inside the upper part of the box, which gave some hint as to the date. Can you provide pictures of the boxes, inside and out? of the puzzles ? We can try to help if we have pictures.
Thanks,
Jim McW
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from Jim McW--4 March 2005:
You can see a few examples of the wonderful, old Pastime Puzzles on our Parker Puzzles page. Here's a good example (from our own collection), which may be somewhat similar to one of your puzzles. It is difficult to read the date, but I think it is September 1931.:

"Arabs On the March"

"Arabs On the March"[Label].
Production label,
"Arabs On the March"
One added note: the title of the second puzzle you mention is almost certainly "The Meeting of the Pickwick Club". We don't have a good picture of it, but we have seen several of these.
Thanks,
Jim McW
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from "JS"--11 March 2005:
Parker Pastime boxes usually have a copyright date on the lid. If there isn't one, it is most likely to be from prior to 1917. The color of the box also helps set a timeframe. If JT's boxes are not white, that is also a good indicator that they are early Pastimes. Does the puzzle have figures, no figures is a very early puzzle. Guessing from: cutter #4, JT probably would have noticed the date, no other info, I would say 1908 to 1917. Definitely, more detail would help.
JS
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from Anne Williams--30 October 2005:

The labels inside the lids of the Pastime boxes changed over the years.
The earliest ones circa 1908-09 read:
      Sawed by.................
      Polished by..............
      Counted by..............
      Inspected by............
The next labels (circa 1909-14) read:
      Sawed by .................
      Polished and
      Counted by................
      Inspected by..............
The next labels (circa 1915-30) read:
         this puzzle
      Sawed by.....................
      Polished and
      finished by...................
Later labels (circa 1930-58) are larger and read:
      This puzzle contained ............
      pieces when shipped from the factory.
      Sawed By...............................
      Polished By...........................
      Inspected By.........................
      Date.......................................
However, after 1935, they usually did not fill in the date.
Other indications about date include:
    Size: for example, they made 60 piece puzzles only in the first 10 years, 1908-17.
    Box color: non-white boxes are mainly pre-1925;
    Patent date: appears on boxes from 1917-32; patent number or registered appears after that;
    Copyright 1932: appears on end labels and/or box tops after 1932;
    Address: Salem, Mass. is on all boxes; Flatiron Building, NY appears 1919-1937 only; 12 Whiteley Road, London appears 1931-37 only; Chicago appears only after 1939;
    End labels: titles in all upper case letters are almost all 1925 or later.
    I am currently working on a compilation of known Pastime puzzle titles and dates. I welcome additional information with details on titles owned by readers of this question. Anne Williams (puzzles@bates.edu)
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[1445]from "JA"--2 March 2005:
tuck's zag-zaw picture puzzle
Hello
Could we ask your opinion of a puzzle my wife and I have come across? It is in good condition in the original box.
It has 165 pieces and is entitled "Queen Victoria reviewing the fleet at Spithead". The size is 12 x 8 inches.
Is this puzzle considered a collectors item, and if possible, it's approximate worth?
Thank you
"JA"
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from Jim McW--4 March 2005:
Yes it is (very) collectible, and no, we don't know its value, off-hand. In very general terms, if complete and in good condition, wooden puzzles often sell for 50 cents per piece, or more, depending on many different factors. "Values" of older wooden puzzles are especially difficult to predict, because they are often unique and highly prized. See our FAQ page for a brief discussion of puzzle values and some of the factors which can affect the prices realized.
Also, visit the Zag-Zaw page of Geert Bekkering. (There's a link on our LINKS page, but we could not access his site, when we tried this morning.)
Thanks,
Jim McW
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from Keith--9 March 2005:
Hi Jim,
This Zag-Zaw is one of a set of paintings by B. Gribble used by Tuck's. Its original price was 6/9 about 34 pence in today's money - I suspect it may be worth a little more today, though. :-)
Two other paintings by this artist used by Tuck in the same size were "Nelson Hoists His Flag on the Victory" and "Queen of the Seas".
These pictures were very popular and were also used by other manufacturers; I am sure you would have seen the "Queen of the Seas" on puzzles by other manufacturers.
B. Gribble's marine paintings were also used by Tucks for puzzles in other sizes:
"Chasing the Slaver", 110 pieces, "Britannia Leads", 110 pieces, "Bound for the Golden East", 110 pieces.

Bernard Gribble: 1873-1962.
Born in London, the son of an architect who designed Brompton Oratory, he followed his father into the profession but later turned to painting and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1891 to 1904. In his later years he lived at Poole in Dorset and typicaly painted scenes of Poole, sailing ships, and was noted for his skillfuly painted sea. He was at Scapa Flow on the 21st June 1919 to record the events of that day.
Regards,
Keith
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[1446]from "KTL"--7 March 2005:
Hi, I just purchased a "Jolly Time" picture puzzle (2) each puzzles in the box...the box is in good condition...puzzles are intact...however, there is no year marked on the box. Looks as tho, it may be from the 40's or 50's...can you tell me how to go about finding out how old it is? The cover shows circus animals and a toy jeep...in the lower right corner it says it's a "An All Fair Puzzle". Thanks.
"KTL"
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from Jim McW--7 March 2005:
Well, the first thing is to go to our website and use our excellent SEARCH page!
If one types in "jolly" there, it gives the result of Q&A page 15 (no. 209), with a picture of an All-Fair Jolly Time puzzle box. The next step is, as is frequently the case, to check Anne Williams' great history, Jigsaw Puzzles: An Illustrated History and Price Guide, where you will find that the puzzle was published in the 1930's.
Thanks,
Jim McW
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[1447]from "DQ"--7 March 2005:
Hace muchos años me trajeron desde inglaterra dos puzzles, eran de Lesney o Waddingtons (creo) y representaba los box art de las maquetas de plástico de Matchbox, cuyo artista era Roy Huxley. Se denominaban Lesney Action Puzzle, era una escena de combate de aviones p-47 y otra de un vehículo semioruga, adjunto imagenes.

He buscado por la red y .... se venden de segunda mano, pero ¿hay alguna manera de conseguirlos, o ya estan totalmente descatalogados?

Saludos

"M16 Half Track"

"P-47D Thunderbolt"
"DQ"
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from Jim McW--14 March 2005:
Creo que no se venden estos puzzles hoy en dia.
Muchas gracias,
Jim McW
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[1448]from "PT"--16 March 2005:
RE: No. 807, Page 56
There are 5 puzzles in the Tom DuBois Disney Series. They are Alice's Magical Journey, Cinderella's Evening of Magic, The Magic of Peter Pan, Pinocchio's Magical Adventure, and Snow White's Magical Forest. They are extremely hard to find in the U.S. but can be found in puzzle stores in the U.K. You might try ALLJIGSAWPUZZLES.CO.UK or JIGSAWSRUS.COM - I hope this helps.
"PT"
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[1449]from "AMH"--3 March 2005:
Hi, I have a Warren puzzle, "pyramids near Gizeh" #1112, and can't find any info on it. Can you please tell me the year and anything else?
thank you,
"AMH"
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from Jim McW--4 March 2005:
Sorry, we have no knowledge of that title. Perhaps, if you sent us a photo or scan of the puzzle or the box, we might be able to help.
Thanks,
Jim McW
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from "AMH"--4 March 2005:
Hi this is it put together.

" Pyramids Near Gizeh ", WARREN
It has over 1000 jaggedy jag cuts interlocking pieces. The Lafayette picture puzzle, "Pyramids Near Gizeh" by Warren #1112.
Any info would be appreciated.
"AMH"
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[1450]from "RR"--10 March 2005:
Hello,
I came across your web site while trying to search for information on my Great Uncle. ....I believe I also have a print of this that was on a calendar! I'm talking about "Carefree Days" by Lee LeBlanc, TUCO, 1960. The page number was 48 and the inquiry number was 689. Can you tell me how many of these puzzles were made. And like the person inquiring about it, JH, I'm wondering how hard it would be to find one. Like I said this was my Fathers Uncle and I have interest in these things. I would appreciate any help you can give. This would be so cool!!
Thank you,
"RR"
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from Jim McW--20 March 2005:
Here is the picture again:
"Carefree Days", by Lee LeBlanc, TUCO, 1960's [?].
We think some thousands, at least, must have been published. There is probably a fair chance of picking one up in internet auctions, with proper diligence.
Thanks,
Jim McW
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[1451]from "JC"--12 March 2005:
Your puzzle No. 10 [Jiggety Jig Puzzles], listed as " The Pointers " should rightfully be called " The Setters " . The dogs are English Setters, not Pointers.
"JC"
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from Jim McW--20 March 2005:
Osthaus, the artist, lived from 1858 to 1928. Presumably, the puzzle title is taken from the title of the original painting.
"The Pointers", by Edmund Osthaus, Jiggety Jig, 1930's. In any case, the puzzle was issued in the 1930's.
We see your point as to the identity of the breed depicted, although we (not particularly knowledgeable in dog breeds) wonder how you identify these as English setters, as opposed to Irish Red and White Setters.
Thanks,
Jim McW
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[1452]from "LG"--12 March 2005:
Hello,
I just bought a vintage puzzle at the thrift store, it is new with the shrink plastic still on it, but it does not have any date on it, this is the info I found:

BARON/SCOTT ENTERPRISES
8804 Monard Drive, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
1939 Curtis Publishing Co.

PUZZLES OF DISTINCTION PRESENT
Norman Rockwell
jig saw puzzle/casse-tete/from
THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

BEGINNING A SERIAL BY Clarence BUDINGTON KELLAND
On December 16th,1939 "EXTRA GOOD BOYS AND GIRLS" appeared on the cover of the post.bla bla bla bla........

Stock No 10018 x 24 IN. 551 PIECES

That's all I found but no date of the printing of this puzzle, if you can help me here I will thank you always, hope to hear from you soon.
"LG"
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from Jim McW--20 March 2005:
See Q&A no. 1264, Page 80 for a similar question, with a bit of an answer.
Thanks,
Jim McW
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[1453]from "BH"--17 March 2005:
Do you know of any manufacturers that have people test their puzzles, I have been trying to find this out for quite some time now. Or could you possibly direct me to someone who knows. Please I have wanted to find this out for a long time.....
"BH"
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from Anne Williams--13 July 2006:

Stave and and several other manufacturers of custom wood puzzles use testers for their more difficult designs. They choose testers from among their best customers.
from Anne Williams, puzzles@bates.edu***************
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[1454]from "MO4"--18 March 2005:
I'm afraid I don't have much information about this, but I am desperately trying to find a jigsaw puzzle I put together years ago. I think it was 1000 pieces or under--but it was large, I dont remember who it was made by, it was square and the picture was a giant collection of ART SUPPLIES. It was extremely colorful, all the colors of the rainbow it was a huge display of crayons, paint, paintbrushes, chalk, colored pencils, markers etc...since I was just a kid, after I finished it, I put it away, forgot about it, carelessly lost pieces, then threw it out. It was the early 90's, I believe.

I've tried searches for "art art supplies crayons" etc and all the other keywords above at this site and other online shopping sites but I can't find it, I know it was made by a big company it wasnt a little known production.

Hope someone can help me out with this, considering its a somewhat recently made puzzle, thanks!
"MO4"
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