Author Archives: Ashley

How to Pick the Best Puzzle Brands

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So, we’ve posted before on how to select a high-quality puzzle based on the brand and the quality of the puzzle pieces and printing. But I wanted to give you a little more insight into what makes each of our most popular brands unique. We’ll also take a look at quality and prices.

This is to give you all some insight into each brand we carry, starting with the most popular puzzle brands. I have tested many of the jigsaw puzzles myself and have also talked with many people who love these puzzles! More will be posted later.

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Sunsout:

This brand carries thousands of different images, in piece counts ranging from 100 piece mini puzzles to 6000 piece giants. They are made from eco-friendly material in the USA. Sunsout puzzles are also on the cheaper side – with 1000 piece puzzles only $15. Pieces are both ribbon and random cut, depending on the image.

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Ravensburger:

Often touted as one of the best puzzle brands, it is probably true. These puzzles have true interlocking ribbon cut pieces – they really snap together well and don’t move around. They also use grained paper which makes the image glare-free with a nice, durable finish and great color. These puzzles are perfect for framing. Their 1000 piece puzzles are $17, and they also have great 500 piece puzzles for only $13.

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Springbok:

These puzzles are known for the fact that no two pieces are ever the same. They use random cut dies to cut their puzzle, a unique look and interesting challenge. They use 100% recycled materials and are made in the USA. They also limit the number of new puzzles each year in an effort to focus more on quality than quantity. 500 piece puzzles from Springbok are just $12.

Heye:

Heye puzzles have some of the most unique images – from gothic art to highly detailed cartoon puzzles. The pieces are ribbon cut and slide together nicely – but be careful – often times with ribbon cut puzzles pieces of similar shape and color can make it to the wrong spot. Make sure it really fits before moving on! These are top-notch quality – with 1000 piece puzzles upwards of $25 – but they are well worth it if you plan to keep and frame the puzzle. (I myself have 3 mounted on my wall from Heye!)

Aquarius:

If you’re into pop-culture, this is the brand for you. They have everything from vintage Beatles puzzles to I Love Lucy, John Wayne and Rush. Their puzzles are also printed with high-quality ink so the images are bright and crystal clear. These are the perfect puzzles for teenagers or fanatics with 1000 piece puzzles around $15.

Ceaco:

This brand is known for its low prices. You’ll find a smaller box and slightly thinner pieces than a higher-end puzzle, but the fun is still the same! These are great party puzzles or for keeping and doing over and over with the kids or family. 1000 piece puzzles are only $12 and they have great painters like Thomas Kinkade!

Love a particular puzzle brand and want to submit your review of it? Talk to us and tell us what you think and I’ll post it next week!

Question for the comments: What puzzle brand are you loyal to and why?

Puzzle Warehouse sponsors Memorial Golf Classic in Honor of Katee Hessler

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Puzzle Warehouse sponsored a hole at the 2012 Katee Hessler Memorial Golf Classic. The event was put on by a memorial foundation inspired after 18-year-old Katee was senselessly murdered in an attempted robbery in North St. Louis County onAugust 30, 2001.

Katee grew up in St. Charles and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. She became a victim of violence and greed. Katee’s death deeply affected everyone who knew her. Take a look at all of the photos from the event over at the Katee Hessler Foundation’s Facebook page.

World Alzheimer’s Month – Spread Awareness with Puzzles

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Check out the Alzheimer’s Association’s Facebook page to learn more about how to support the global fight to find a cure.

The theme for the first World’s Alzheimer’s Awareness month is Dementia: Living Together. The goal? To reduce the stigma associated with dementia and form a community that is more friendly to those living with the disease. There are lots of things you can do to help raise awareness and help the cause to end Alzheimer’s.

1. Alzheimer’s Action Day is Sept. 21. Take a picture of yourself wearing purple and post in on Facebook and Twitter. Go Purple to spread the word! Tag #ENDALZ

2. Learn how to overcome the stigmas. Teach others. 35 million people and their families are affected by dementia.

3. Start Talking. Do you know someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia? Have you ever had a heart to heart with a memory caregiver? How do you think you would be treated if you had memory problems? Find more great questions to get you started at Alzheimer’s Speaks Blog.

4. Spend time with family members and friends affected by dementia.

Having a conversation with someone living with Alzheimer’s or dementia isn’t always easy – especially if you  were close before and the relationship has changed as memories are affected. Believe it or not, jigsaw puzzles are a great way to start the conversation. Puzzles for Alzheimer’s are made specifically for people with dementia and their loved ones. They come with only a few pieces – usually 6 or 12, and feature hand-picked images that are meant to strike up a conversation or bring back a memory.

Happy Birthday, Lucille Ball!

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Today marks the 101st birthday of the late Hollywood star, Lucille Ball. Best known for her role in I Love Lucy, this lovely woman will always be remembered as the clumsy, crazy and lovable Lucy Ricardo.


According to IMDB, the “dizzy sitcom redhead was a show business powerhouse and television pioneer.” Here are some interesting facts about her:

  1. For many years during their marriage, Lucy and Desi Arnaz hid the fact that she was six years older than he by splitting the difference in their ages. She (born in 1911) said she was born in 1914 and he (born in 1917) also said he was born in 1914.
  2. She didn’t like any false form of a bird, she preferred to see them in person so she banned all pictures of birds from her house and any hotel room she was staying in.
  3. She was tutored in comedy by the great Buster Keaton.
  4. Ball appeared on a 44¢ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Early Television Memories issue with Vivian Vance, as Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz, in a scene from “I Love Lucy: Job Switching (#2.1)” (1952). The stamp was issued 11 August 2009.
  5. A quote: “In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by.”

Happy Birthday, Lucy! You are missed! For more great Lucille Ball memorabilia, check out selection of I Love Lucy puzzles and our I Love Lucy Trivia Game.

Discount Jigsaw Puzzles – Why You Should Shop for Scratch and Dent Puzzles

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It can be hard to pick out the perfect jigsaw puzzle. Since you are probably going to spend a lot of time working your puzzle – from clearing off a table in your kitchen or hobby room to putting that last piece in just the right spot to finish your masterpiece – you’ll want to make sure you pick just the right one. With so many choice to make, like the number of pieces, the puzzle image, the type of puzzle (ribbon cut or random cut pieces, panoramic or square, glow in the dark or 3D) and the brand, the last thing you should have to worry about is this: Am I paying too much for my puzzle? Cheap jigsaws are easy to find, but there is always quality to worry about. When you buy a puzzle, it should be something you want to keep forever, not just throw away when you’re finished! That’s why we have our Scratch and Dent section. Here, you can find a cheap puzzle that is still good as new on the inside – it might just have a ding on the outside of the box. These puzzles are from the same high-quality puzzles brands like Ravensburger, Springbok and Buffalo Games – but we sell them for less than retail prices. Let us explain.

Since we are a reseller, we get shipments every day from over 80 different brands. With hundreds of boxes coming off of trucks and into our warehouse, there are bound to be some damaged items. When we sell you a puzzle at full price – we always make sure it is only in perfect condition. If there is damage to the box at all, we mark it Scratch and Dent and give you a discount. In these cases, the bag of puzzles pieces inside is still intact and in perfect condition. Even though these puzzles are discounted, you won’t find missing pieces or damage to the actual jigsaw puzzle you are putting together. Take a look at the pictures below and you’ll see the best-case and worst-case scenarios for these discounted jigsaw puzzle boxes.

So, why not save a few extra bucks and buy the same high-quality puzzle for less? We have puzzles for adults and jigsaws for kids in this section, from 24 pieces up to some our largest puzzles like 3000 piece jigsaws. And since we get so many shipments every week, you’ll see new additions to this cheap puzzle selection almost every day.

Are you wondering what must be wrong with these cheap jigsaw puzzles? Let me give you an example to show you the puzzles themselves are in perfect condition!

This is an example of what the most minimal damage might be for a scratch and dent. Even if the box just has a slight tare like this, we will take a few dollars off the the full retail price and pass the savings onto you.

You'll see, the puzzle inside is just like new - still sealed in the bag with no loose pieces or any other damage. Just like new!

This is one of the worst types of Scratch and Dent Puzzles you will see - where the corner of the box might have been slightly crushed by a forklift of by other boxes.

Again, you'll find that the puzzle inside is just as good as new - with the pieces intact and the puzzle image still perfectly visible on the box!

So, next time you’re having trouble deciding if you should go for the expensive puzzle brands so that you can get the best quality jigsaw puzzle for your next project, try one of our great Scratch and Dent puzzles and save, without giving up on quality!