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We heard this story, by word of mouth:
24 June, 2001 ---
I heard a story of a lady who worked for months, putting together a VERY large puzzle
( approximately ten or twelve thousand pieces). The only place big enough for this puzzle
was her dining room floor, so she moved her dining room suite, temporarily, and assembled it
there. When she had completed it, she did not want to disassemble it, but there was no
easy way to move it to another location. She covered it with a sheet of tough, clear vinyl,
and left it permanently in place, as a part of her dining room decor. [Jim McW]
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from Nancy Ballhagen--28 June 2001:
Hi Jim,
Just a short story. About 3 or 4 years ago, when the 3D puzzles came out, with the Millenium [or Millennium] Falcon,
we thought it would be a good idea to have one on display in our store. I think we worked for about 2 or 3 nights on it.
It was a very difficult puzzle to put together because of all the strange angles. Anyhow, we finally got it put together
and on display at the counter. We came in after lunch a few days later and happened to notice the puzzle at a strange
angle, we looked at it closer, and there, all snuggled up in side the collapsed Falcon, was Maggie the cat. Needless to
say, Maggie isn't allowed in the store now, when we are not there, and the puzzle went into a box, never to be seen again.
Nancy |
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from "TLH"--2 January 2002:
I am a fairly recent puzzle fan. We attend a bluegrass jam sesson most
Friday nights held in a big metal barn belonging to one of our senior
bluegrass members. All the pickers gather around in a circle at one end
of the barn and pick, sing and grin until as late as 1am. At the other
end of the barn are the puzzle workers. Wives, significant others
gather around a table and the "lady of the barn" picks out a puzzle for
us to put together. Snacks are brought and we work puzzles, talk about
our families and snack. This is where I was introduced to the world of
puzzles and have become hooked. I bought an "Impossibles" puzzle for
the "lady of the barn" for Christmas and we are currently working on it.
I have become fond of the Wysocki puzzles and am starting to collect
those at this time.
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from "CM"--22 January 2002:
Hello,
Although I have been doing jigsaw puzzles for as long as I can remember, that'd be about
50 years, I hadn't really appreciated the historical or monetary value of older Jigsaw puzzles
until just recently. I have one of my mother's old ( vintage?) puzzles entitled 'The Wedding',
that has been done and redone dozens of times. Like an idiot I threw the box out years ago,
altho in my defense it ( the box) may have gotten damaged somewhat over the years.
A few years ago a friend of mine, who dabbles in antiques and 'junque', gave me two
small older puzzles. One is a Tuco ...Barnyard Scene, and also a Whitman /Guild ... Steeple in
the Mountains.
Sincerely, "CM"
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from "An Old Collector"--23 January 2002:
I started collecting over 20 years ago and was fortunate enough to build up a substantial
collection of very early dissections, can't be done today. I try to photograph every puzzle and
write them up so I have built up a pretty good reference library over time. As early material
became more difficult I moved to 20th century so built up a pretty good historic collection
covering all periods and with a variety of manufacturers. The fun is in gathering information
about the manufacturers, I don't have to own a puzzle if I can gain information ,or learn a little
more ,then a photograph or a look is fine. I noticed one of the site visitors was collecting only
sealed boxes, from my experience, it is better to take what is available, then build up the
quality as the opportunity arises.
I once had such high ideals, when I first started collecting Victorian puzzles. I insisted
that I only collected complete puzzles. I once sent back a puzzle to a dealer because two pieces
were missing. That puzzle was by John Wallis and had the imprint 16 Ludgate Street.
According to Linda Hannas, this would date it between 1778 and 1805. I have puzzles by Edward
Wallis or Wallis and son but I have never seen another with only the fathers imprint, how much
more would I have to pay for that puzzle with two pieces missing today?
"An Old Collector"
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from "CL"--4 February 2002:
I don't know if you would really call my husband and my self collectors of
puzzles but we enjoy putting them together. We enjoy them so much that we
put them together and nicely frame them as gifts. We usually do this for
family or loved ones at special occasions and spend days or months searching
for the right puzzle. My sister in-law is getting married soon and we are
doing a wedding puzzle for her gift. We also have several puzzles that we
have put together, framed and on display in our home. We enjoy watching the
amazement of people when we say look closer that picture is a puzzle. Our
favorite puzzles are native american and biblical.
Thanks!
"CL"
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from "MPG"--15 February 2002:
Several years ago, I developed a preference for Charles Wysocki puzzles,and began to collect
them. I cheat however,because when I finish a 1008 piece puzzle,I sure don't want to take it apart.
Sometimes the puzzles are cooperative, and I'm able to turn them over and number them. then I can
disassemble them in 12X14 sections,and put them back in the box. The looser puzzles I tape.
Someday I want a house with vast walls that I can hang my beautiful pictures on. I have presently
somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 or more, including several "Mosaics" (which just get
disassembled and reassembled at my whim), as well as 2 3D mini puzzles. I'm not quite ready for
the full size 3D yet. I've come to appreciate the value of the details in Charles Wysocki's
art, and the way the puzzle pieces correspond to the picture on the box. I don't do them for
challenge, but for relaxation, which I wouldn't get if they were more difficult. Not only do I
love the pictures, but the puzzles are just right too. Thank you for giving me the opportunity
to share my hobby quirks with others. My two married daughters have mothers-in-law who also do
Wysocki puzzles. What a strange coincidence. We live almost at opposite ends of the country,
so it really is coincidence, and not influence.
"MPG"
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from "JS"--22 February 2002:
Hi Jim,
Here's one for your stories page.
A year or two ago, I found a puzzle in an online auction that was newly listed. The
picture was small and a little blurred. The description was vague, the
seller said that they didn't know anything about it other than they thought
that it was old. "Maybe from the '30s." I watched the puzzle for several
days, finally deciding from the picture that it was probably from Germany,
made in the 1920s. I think that it was on the last day that I decided to bid
the opening price and I ended up winning the auction with no competing bids.
Two weeks later the puzzle arrived and I was astonished to discover that it
was a J. Barfoot puzzle from about 1850. This was a brand of puzzle that I
did not believe that I would ever own, but it was very high on my want-list,
and I am still delighted every time I take it out.
Cheers,
"JS"
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from "An Old Collector"--1 March 2002:
I just got back from holiday in Malaysia. My time in Kuala Lumpur was interesting, in that
I discovered a group of shops situated in the main shopping malls, selling nothing but puzzles.
Many were of Japanese origin, some made for the local and tourist market. They were of very high
quality and design, well worth looking out for . I could have spent a fortune but confined myself
to a Glow in the Dark puzzle of the Petronas Twin Towers. The purchase was made there, in the
Kuala Lumpur City Centre, and the rapid transport system has a station in the basement leading up
to a very high class shopping centre, situated between and under the towers. Petronas is the
National oil company. Disney subjects seemed very popular, and a range of frames to fit pretty
well all the puzzles were available. These were very popular, and quite a few puzzles were sold
framed. They also had some lovely Japanese print puzzles.
One thing to add --the company I referred to asked at the time of purchase whether I was a
member of the club. It seems that they run a discount system , for 10 ringit you become a life
member and get ten per cent discount. The current rate of exchange is 5 ringit to the pound.
Regards,
"An Old Collector"
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from "KM"--29 March 2002:
Our Michigan family of eight loved puzzles. One tradition we started was that for Christmas,
somehow, at least one puzzle would find its way under our tree (mind you this was not pre-arranged
by Mom and Dad, nor was it the same person giving a puzzle as a gift). Sometime Christmas day or
shortly after, the new puzzle box would be opened, and we would begin fitting the pieces together.
Along the way, someone set the goal of fininshing the puzzle before the stroke of midnight on New
Year's Eve. Some years it was very close and at least one year we didn't make it. You see, the
goal of the puzzle-giver was to find the most challenging puzzle possible for the recipient (even
though we all had a hand in the puzzle's completion). As we grew up, went to college, lived on
our own, going out with friends became the usual New Year's Eve activity, and the tradition was
abandoned. Then came children, so a night out was often a necessity. This past New Year's Eve,
we made no plans, other than to stay home with our kids. In the spirit of Auld Lang Syne, I
reached for a puzzle and my puzzle mat and started flipping pieces in the middle of the living
room (almost immediately being joined by my husband and kids) and returned to the tradition that
I hadn't taken part in for nearly 20 years. Ironically, my brother called from Kentucky that
night. He said he was working on a puzzle and just thought he'd call to see if we were doing the
same. He said he has worked few puzzles on New Year's Eve, but the puzzle spirit moved him, too.
Hopefully, this can become a new tradition with my children, as well--but first they have to grow
out of the 100-piece-puzzle stage.
Contributed by KM |
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We publish on the Stories pages almost any kind of anecdote
about jigsaw puzzles. This might be a story about a funny thing that happened while people
were putting a puzzle together, or about how someone acquired a puzzle, or a reminiscence
about jigsaw parties years ago, or about a person you knew years ago, who loved to do jigsaw
puzzles, or your thoughts about jigsaw puzzles, the people who work them, the companies which
make them--the sky's the limit! |
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