Jigsaw Puzzles

[Hermitreader]

In the last few years, since Lockdown actually, I have really got into doing jigsaw puzzles. I have even been given a proper board I can save them on whilst working on one. I've found a cheapy shop where I can buy a 500 piece puzzle for £6 so no great outlay. All happy until I mentioned my hobby to someone from a group I go to and she looked at me with a look of barely concealed contempt, and muttered something about 'all right for oldies'. The thing is I'm only 59, work part time because I looked after my mum until she died and can afford to do so. Is doing jigsaws a sign that I'm getting old before my time? I thought it was good for manual dexterity and keeping brain active but her comment has unnerved me a bit.

I love them- have to have one on the go to unwind.
It's the only time I relax. I find concentrating on them really helpful.
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We love them here too only get to do them when on holiday usually but just completed at 1000pc one. I laughed at your stages as I do the same sequence 🤣I’m early 50s now but my teens like helping me & DH joins in when I let him.

I love jigsaws too.
I worry about buying them in a charity shop though just in case I spend hours doing it and then find a piece-or even pieces-are missing.
I did ask in a charity shop if all the pieces were there and she said she didn't know as they didn't have time to count or do them.
Have you ever found your charity shop jigsaw to be missing pieces?

I’ve never had one with a missing piece unless they’ve marked on the box that one is missing.

I buy quite a few from charity shops and it’s fine not had any missing bits. I do tend to pick the ones in a plastic bag in the box.

No, not had any yet with missing pieces from the charity shop

I love them.,get them from my library like a book!!! Free!!!!!

Pieces in a plastic bag is a good tip-thanks!

DD is in her 20's and loves a jigsaw puzzle. It has been her interest that's got me going again. There's usually one under a cloth on the dining table from one of her visits to the next, and I get in real trouble if I do some of it when she's not here!

I do agree though, that rather a lot of new puzzles have very uninspiring pictures, which appear to be designed to appeal to one demographic (whoever the manufacturers think it might be). Tea sets, saccharine seaside scenes, cutesy animals, even more cutesy ye olde worlde country cottages and the like. Not my cup of tea really.

I loved them when I was 4, loved them when I was 64, love them still. Good for fine motor-muscle skills, and mentally good for getting over upsets and traumas - something manageable you can sort out and solve, piece by piece.

Incidentally, the online ones aren't as good for physical co-ordination, but they're still fun. www.jigsawplanet.com/

Mindfulness, innit?

Love a jigsaw - good radio drama or audio book and I can lose hours......

I judge charity shops on what they charge for a jigsaw - most of our local ones are £1.50 for 500 pieces of £2.50 for 1000 and the lovely people who donate put a note on the outside of the box letting you know they're complete.

I've never had a puzzle from a charity shop that's had pieces missing. I did have a brand new one that had a piece missing, though!

My favourite second hand one was about 40 years old, and it was beautiful. Will see if I can attach a pic

I started doing them because TV bored me and I was spending my evenings sat scrolling in my phone. Since starting last year the "average daily usage" report on my phone has gone right down! I'm only on mumsnet now because I'm between jigsaws.

Very therapeutic and good for calming anxiety.

I have found a great Facebook page for buying/selling jigsaws. Most people sell good ones (e.g. latest Ravensburger 1000 piece) for about £4. It's a great community group and because of this you can generally trust the jigsaws are complete. I highly recommend it.

The Facebook page is

Recycled jigsaw puzzles, buy, sell, swap, just chat!

I too love jigsaws, I want to start to crochet and my hairdresser is 26 and knits, and has done for a while.
I'm 52 BTW
Nrtft sorry x

My 19 year old dd loves them. She has similar aged mates who do a lot of them too. Ignore the nasty comment and keep enjoying them.

I love doing jigsaws, they remind me of my childhood. I've been doing them since I was in my early 20s (early 40s now) - ignore the haters!!

Interesting article here about jigsaws with technical terms for the various pieces. I have my own names for them though; clubby, double clubby, uppy downy, sticky outy etc etc!

https://bluekazoo.games/blogs/articles/the-anatomy-of-a-puzzle-defining-jigsaw-puzzle-pieces

@BatshitCrazyWoman We have a circular floral puzzle like yours, and a similar vintage I think. Ours has spring flowers on it. Primroses, bluebells and things, lovely. We did it over last Christmas.

Love that the pieces gave special names. I mentally call them things like two sticky outs, two holes. I loved Waddingtons Jigmaps as a child. My favourite one was Africa. Tried to post a picture of my recent one but the file was too big apparently.

We have always got a jigsaw on the go here , mainly 1000 piece , I love them because it’s so easy to dip in and out . I’ve asked for a 1000 piece miniature Japanese jigsaw for my birthday , apparently the pieces are 1/3 of the usual size and it fits on an average sized tray .

I love them. I started doing them during the pandemic and haven't stopped since. I find they calm me down in a way nothing else does. They provide hours of cheap entertainment.
Definitely not only for "oldies".

Vinted is good for second hand jigsaws.

I'm a lifelong puzzler. I mostly buy from Vinted and the charity shop and have only had two puzzles with missing pieces from there in the last year (which beats the three with missing pieces and one with extra pieces which were brand new and sealed!)

What kind of puzzles do people like? I love illustration puzzles. And anything with a gradient. I'm also a bit obsessed with the Ravensburger Abandoned and Circle of Colours series, and also Cloudberries and Elena Essex as brands. My least favourite puzzles are probably photos of landscapes. These are a few of my favourites from the last year. I'm

My last holiday, weather was poor so I bought a jigsaw to do. It kept all ages from 13 to 81 occupied!!!