Jim Shore Twelve Days of Christmas Puzzle

I was looking for a Christmas jigsaw puzzle when I found this Springbok one by Jim Shore called The Twelve Days of Christmas. Since then, I have been sneaking time out to work on it. Christmas is such a fun theme for puzzling.

This puzzle features the artwork of artist Jim Shore in an image that is called The 12 Days of Christmas. It has 1000 pieces and was produced in 2007. Now discontinued, you will now have to look to secondary markets like eBay to find it. 

Find your Jim Shore's The 12 Days of Christmas puzzle here on eBay. 

Happy Puzzling!

Brenda

Treasures By Brenda

MORE PUZZLES:

Christmas puzzles in my eBay store!

Springbok's Christmastown panoramic puzzle.

Springbok Nutcracker puzzles.

Springbok Will You Be Mine Sweethearts Vintage Jigsaw Puzzle

Here's a fun jigsaw puzzle for Valentine's Day or any day. It's the 1997 Springbok puzzle titled "Will you Be Mine." It is puzzle number VBO2066. It has 500 pieces and the finished puzzle will measure 18 by 23 1/5 inches. Definitely a fun one to work with your sweetheart.

It is retired now so the best place to find your Springbok Will You Be Mine jigsaw puzzle is here on eBay. Note that the fact that it is retired means you may or may not find one available when you look. However, there do seem to be a number of  copies of the Chocolate Sweethearts puzzle available, which would be a great alternative to this one.

Happy Puzzling!

Brenda

Treasures By Brenda

See all of the jigsaw puzzles in my eBay store here.

Vintage Walt Disney Movie Poster Jigsaw Puzzles by Golden

In the 1990s, Walt Disney released a series of movie poster-themed jigsaw puzzles with the company Golden. Yes, that’s the same company that produced the Little Golden Books of days gone by. 

Each of these puzzles features an iconic animated Disney movie’s poster and, because each one is comprised of 300 big puzzle pieces, it comes together to make a fairly large puzzle of 2 by 3 feet.

These puzzles are a great addition to any Disney fan’s collection, whether you collect only items related to one movie or you collect items related to any Disney movie. The choice is yours. You can choose to display them once they are built or to build them time and time again. 

While intended for older children, they are also a fun puzzles to work as an adult. Honestly, when I am looking for an easier puzzle, I love working these puzzles.

My latest puzzle was the Beauty and the Beast one. It was a fun journey into the magic and romance of this classic story. I loved snapping into place all of the pieces with their iconic characters though to my chagrin, my puzzle was missing a piece!

There are quite a few of these puzzles available. I found thirteen. Here's my list:

101 Dalmatians – Mostly white with Cruella
101 Dalmatians – With Cruella, a car and a full moon
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
Cinderella
Jungle Book, The
Lion King, The
Little Mermaid, The
Pinocchio
Pocahontas
Rescuers Down Under
Rocketeer
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Please note that this list may not be complete. If you know of other puzzles in this series, be sure to let me know. Also, some of these puzzles are rarer than others. In particular, it might be harder to locate Cinderella, Rescuers Down Under and Rocketeer. In any case, you can look on eBay to see which of these Walt Disney Golden puzzles are available now by clicking right here.

Brenda
Happy Puzzling!

MORE PUZZLES:

Springbok's Dancing is a Ball Jigsaw Puzzle

Springbok's Little Red Riding Hood Puzzle

Springbok's Mickey Mouse Head Puzzle

Vintage Springbok's Christmastown, U.S.A. Jigsaw Puzzle Reviewed

My husband and I had fun working this vintage 1986 jigsaw puzzle from Springbok and Hallmark Cards though we struggled a bit with the edge pieces. Called Christmastown, U.S.A., it features artwork by Art Carlson and depicts a downtown scene with the main street dressed for Christmas and the townsfolk completing their holiday errands.  The scene is set in the 1980s but made more charming by the inclusion of vintage items like a couple of horse-drawn carriages and a trolley or street car.

The back of the box features a poem by Linda Elrod that starts, "When the Christmas crowds are heavy and the city moves too fast, I close my eyes and think about a Christmas of the past." It finishes with "Yes, I love these small-town memories, which time cannot erase. If Christmas joy is anywhere, it's in this special place." How lovely.

Marked puzzle number PZL9805, this puzzle has over 700 pieces and when assembled, will measure 13 inches by 40 inches.  

If you love Springbok puzzles as I do, you won't want to miss this one.  Search for Springbok's Christmastown, U.S.A. by clicking here to eBay.

Do you love working jigsaw puzzles? At Christmastime or all year long? Have you worked this puzzle?

Happy Puzzling and Merry Christmas to you!

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Quick Links:

Springbok puzzles in my eBay store.

Springbok Nutcracker-themed puzzles.

A Christmas jigsaw puzzle tradition.

Springbok's Book Shop puzzle, perfect for puzzlers who love to read!

Vintage Springbok Mickey Mouse's Head Puzzle

Here is another fantastic but hard vintage Springbok jigsaw puzzle. This one features the iconic cartoon character, Mickey Mouse. Since it depicts Mickey's head in just four solid colors, it is difficult and in the end, I worked Mickey's head and my husband worked the mass of yellow around the outside. It took us awhile to finish but it felt great when Mickey's smiling face was finally complete.

WHAT ARE THE PUZZLE DETAILS?

Produced by Springbok in conjunction with Walt Disney Productions and marked puzzle number 2048 or PZL2048, this puzzle, titled Mickey Mouse, was created in 1972 and was sold as a 500-piece puzzle. The finished size is square and measures 20 inches by 20 inches.

WHO IS IT SUITED FOR?

This puzzle is suitable for older, avid jigsaw puzzle workers and for Disney collectors who fit that description. I would not recommend it for young fans because, as I mentioned above, all that solid color makes a puzzle harder rather than easier.

WHERE TO BUY IT?

This puzzle has been discontinued for more than 50 years but you can check on eBay to see if it is currently available by clicking right here. When I looked there were a number of them to choose from but no new ones. If a new one shows up, you can be sure it will be at a premium.

If you are buying a used puzzle, make sure you buy from a reputable seller who gives a good description of the condition of the box and pieces and maybe even a guarantee of completeness. When I buy puzzles, I definitely prefer to buy ones that are complete whenever I can. Since that is not always possible, take care to look at the pictures and read the seller's description carefully so that you know what you are buying. Also, be aware that a counted puzzle is not necessarily a complete puzzle since the number of pieces that a manufacturer quotes is often a rounded number. For instance, a 500-piece puzzle may actually have slightly more or less pieces than that figure. 

Are you a jigsaw puzzle fan or a Mickey Mouse fan or maybe a bit of both? Have you worked this puzzle?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What
I Might Have In Store For You!

MORE JIGSAW PUZZLE READING:

Find Springbok's Mickey Mouse puzzle on eBay.

Discover Springbok's difficult Little Red Riding Hood's Hood puzzle.

Love books? You'll love Springbok's Book Shop puzzle.

Love difficult puzzles? Ketchup? Check out the all red Heinz Ketchup puzzle here.

Check out all of the jigsaw puzzles new, used and vintage in my eBay store.

Springbok Pass the Ketchup Hamburger Puzzle

 

Nothing ever beats a burger
When you’re feeling lean and mean,
And the only think you’re thinking of is food.
It’ll fill your empty tummy
With a flavor that’s so yummy,
It can brighten up the meanest, maddest mood. 

Those are just the opening lines from the Ode to a Hamburger poem that is printed on the back cover of Springbok's vintage 1978 Pass the Ketchup jigsaw puzzle. 

While I'd never even try to eat a burger the size of the one in the image, I do think it is a fun picture and I know that working this puzzle appeals to all of those members of my family who love, love, love a juicy, hot off the grill hamburger.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

In terms of technical details, Springbok's Pass the Ketchup puzzle is puzzle number PZL2073 and was manufactured in 1978. It has 550 pieces and the finished puzzle will measure 20 ¼ inches square when completed.

WHERE TO FIND THIS PUZZLE

Of course, this puzzle is now more than forty years old. You may be able to find a new, sealed copy or you may have to settle for a preowned puzzle. Whichever option you choose, you can see if Springbok's Pass the Ketchup hamburger puzzle is available on eBay by following this link. You will find when you click through that over the years Springbok has produced a few puzzles with hamburgers on them.  If you cannot find this one, you might see another one that you like.

Thanks for dropping in! You never know what puzzles I might have in store for you!

Brenda

Quick Links:

Find Springbok's Pass the Ketchup on eBay.

See all of the jigsaw puzzles in my eBay store.

 

 

Springbok Bon Voyage Travel Jigsaw Puzzle

FOR TRAVEL TUESDAY

Celebrating my love of travel, I decided to share Springbok's Bon Voyage jigsaw puzzle today. Beware that it is one of two that have the same name.

I love the artwork on this one, which was done by Susan W. Berman. It features hotels from around the world and I may never stay at any of them but I still love them and the idea of traveling again when the pandemic has passed and the world is once again a safe place to travel in.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

This puzzle is from 2006, has 2000 pieces and is called Bon Voyage! When finished it will be rectangular and measure 34 inches by 42.5 inches. It is Springbok's puzzle number 1JIG20479.

HOTELS

A few of the hotels included in the artwork are the Hotel Atlanta in Brussels, the Hotel Spendid Suisse in Italy and the Neptun Hotel for which a country is not named. Have you stayed at any of these hotels? If you have, that would make working this puzzle double the fun and, of course, if you are like me and just love travel and/or the idea of travel, this puzzle is a fun anyway.

WHERE TO BUY THIS PUZZLE

Although not technically a vintage puzzle, you will have to search eBay to find it because it is no longer available from Springbok. You can do so by clicking right here.

As always, I recommend buying a new puzzle, if possible. If you have to buy a used puzzle, remember that I suggest that you make sure that it is complete and no, counting the pieces is not a good measurement of completeness. If it is not a new puzzle, working it is really the only way to know that all of the pieces are there. Of course, it is perfectly okay to work a puzzle that is incomplete as long as you know that is a possibility and you are okay with that fact.

You never know what
puzzles I have in store for you!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Find Springbok's Bon Voyage jigsaw puzzle on eBay.
See all of the new, used and vintage jigsaw puzzles in my eBay store.

Vintage Springbok Dancing is a Ball Jigsaw Puzzle

FOR INTERNATIONAL DANCING DAY

I went looking for a jigsaw puzzle to celebrate International Dance Day, which is celebrated every year on April 29. According to Wikipedia, the day was intended as a worldwide celebration of dance and was originally created by the Dance division of the International Theatre Institute, the branch of the performing arts of UNESCO. I love how this puzzle features so many different types of dance.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

This puzzle is a vintage 1986, 1000-piece Springbok jigsaw puzzle called Dancing is a Ball. When finished the puzzle will be rectangular and measure 24 inches by 30 inches. It is is Springbok's puzzle number PZL6121.

DANCES

The list is long and features 31 dances including but not limited to the waltz, fox trot, cha cha, polka, jive, jerk, twist, mashed potato, disco and slam dancing. Which one is your favorite?

WHERE TO BUY THIS PUZZLE

Because it is a vintage puzzle, you will have to search eBay to find it. You can do so by clicking right here. I recommend buying a new puzzle, if possible. If you have to buy a used puzzle because that is all that is available or because that is all that you can afford and if it matters to you, make sure that you find out if the seller guarantees the puzzle to be complete. Counting the pieces is not a good way to know if a puzzle is complete since the number of puzzle pieces as given on the outside of the puzzle box does not necessarily represent the exact number of pieces within the box. Unless a puzzle is new, working it is the only way to know it is complete. Of course, you may be content to work a puzzle that is missing a piece or two and, as long as you know that is a possibility, that is okay, too.

You never know what
puzzles I have in store for you!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Find Springbok's Dancing is a Ball jigsaw puzzle on eBay.
See all of the jigsaw puzzles in my eBay store.

Jigsaw Puzzles Are Back In Style

As you may or may not have suspected, jigsaw puzzles were out of style for a while. However, it seems their popularity is growing. We regularly work one, leaving one out on the coffee table all year long. Noticeably, not as many pieces are put in place in the summer but during the long, cold winter nights many are.

We now have more and better methods of producing puzzles and this has led to more creative puzzles. Not to say that there are not old puzzles that were well constructed. When you pick up a vintage Springbok puzzle that is fully assembled and walk around the house with it holding it only by the corners, you know that it was a well made puzzle. However, there is certainly a much wider variety of puzzle styles, choices and images available now for all age groups and at numerous price points.

I am sure that popularity is in large part because puzzles are a wonderful break from the constant presence of technology in our lives.  More importantly, however is that puzzles are just plain fun to do and when you finish one, you have a nice sense of accomplishment. Note that I did not say anything about them being good for us...and I do believe they are good for our brains, young and old.

I have chosen to illustrate this page with one of the World's Most Difficult Jigsaw Puzzle. This one features Disney's Mickey Mouse on a double-sided puzzle that has the same artwork on both sides! Yikes is what I say but if you are an accomplished puzzle worker who is a Disney fan, you will probably like the challenge. You can find this World's Most Difficult Mickey Mouse puzzle here on eBay by clicking right here.

Is there a JIGSAW PUZZLE in your life?

Happy puzzling!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Quick Link:

Find more puzzles and more Mickey Mouse in my eBay store!

Christmas Jigsaw Puzzle Family Tradition

Include Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles in Your Family's Holiday Traditions 

Each year my family works on Christmas jigsaw puzzles during the month of December. We put a Christmas themed puzzle out on the coffee table and occasionally someone stops and puts a few pieces in place. If you are a puzzler, you already know that once the puzzle starts to come together, our visits become longer and more frequent. It is a wonderful family tradition that everyone can enjoy.

Have you considered working a jigsaw puzzle during the holidays? Puzzles are affordable, technology-free family fun. I have included on this page five lovely Christmas-themed jigsaw puzzles by Springbok. Each one of them retails for less than $15 on Amazon and I have showed a range of puzzle sizes from 350 to 1000 pieces. Whether you are shopping for a new puzzle or just curious about what is available, I hope you enjoy my choices.

Springbok Nutcracker Collection Puzzle

Springbok Gingerbread Fun Jigsaw Puzzle

Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy button to find all of Springbok's Christmas themed puzzles on Amazon so I have added a link below the picture of each of these puzzles to help you find them if you are interested in adding one of them to your collection.

Springbok The Candy Jar Christmas Puzzle

Springbok Feathered Friends Jigsaw Puzzle

Springbok Christmas Candies Puzzle

If you find that these puzzles are no longer available on Amazon when you follow the links shown above, you can look for your Springbok Christmas puzzle here on eBay. Be aware that used puzzles may not be complete. The only way to know if they are complete is to work them. Counting pieces doesn't count, LOL!

Start your own Christmas family tradition by working a jigsaw puzzle together.

Brenda

Treasures By Brenda

Vintage Springbok Little Red Riding Hood's Hood Puzzle

We're working an extremely hard vintage Springbok puzzle called Little Red Riding Hood's Hood. Since it is all red, it seems appropriate as Valentine's Day approaches and I don't think there is any danger that we will have it done too early.

Did I say it is a circular puzzle or an "in the round puzzle" as Springbok calls it? It is, and even though it only has approximately 506 pieces,  it is very hard.

Ah, I just read that the box says that every piece is different. Our box does not say that but I bet that it is so. No wonder it is so gosh darn hard!

Although there is no date on the box, sources online say that this puzzle may date to 1964 and that it is Springbok puzzle number PA20.

Our puzzle is marked PZL6034 and, because of these two discrepancies, I wonder if our puzzle was a second edition.  We may never know but we will always know exactly how hard this puzzle was. You can check on eBay to see if one of these puzzles is currently available by clicking right here. Be warned that this puzzle is rare and there may be none!

Are you a jigsaw puzzle fan? If so, what are you working on? If you have not worked a puzzle for a long time, do you remember what the last one was?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What
I Might Have In Store For You!

Quick Link:

Buy this Little Red Riding Hood's Hood puzzle on eBay.

Ziggy Safari Springbok Jigsaw Puzzle

When I'm not busy working on eBay, blogging or any of my other online projects and I don't want to do housework, I often turn to a jigsaw puzzle for a diversion. We have one pretty constantly on our coffee table. This week I finished a 500-piece Springbok jigsaw puzzle called Ziggy Safari that features the famous 1980s character on safari in Africa.

Ziggy, for those of you who don't know, is a little bald guy with a lot of friends in the form of pets who is constantly facing some misfortune or another. Pop culture, computers and modern life problems are subjects that Ziggy frequently meets in his walk of life.

Ziggy first appeared in a book in 1968 called When You’re Not Around. He appeared in his first newspaper strip in 1971 and has gone on to fame and fortune since then, appearing in his own television special, called Ziggy’s Gift, on calendars, collectables and yes, even on jigsaw puzzles.
 

Personally, I remember a small plush Ziggy that was given to me as a Christmas gift. It is even possible that he is still here in the house since I know he travelled with my own children's Christmas plush toys.

I enjoyed Springbok's Ziggy on Safari jigsaw puzzle. It had a little bit of Ziggy and a lot of the wildlife you would see if you went on safari in Africa. At 500 pieces it was not too challenging, nor was it too easy. As I edit this post, it is a bit hard to find but you can check on eBay by following this link to see if it is currently available.

Do you have memories of Ziggy? Have you worked this puzzle? Is it one you would choose?

Brenda

Quick Links:

Jigsaw Treasures By Brenda on eBay.

Search for the Ziggy Safari jigsaw puzzle on eBay.

How To Buy & Sell Jigsaw Puzzles on eBay

To sell jigsaw puzzles or not to sell jigsaw puzzles on eBay, that is the question. I do but I proceed with caution...

I DO SELL NEW PUZZLES that are still in their factory sealed packaging. Sometimes that box and/or the plastic wrap may have shelfwear and damage likely rendering it unsuitable for a buyer who wants a puzzle as a gift but making it guaranteed complete for any jigsaw puzzler who wants to add a certain puzzle to his or her collection.  As a Canadian eBay seller, I am particularly careful to purchase puzzles that are more valuable or rare because otherwise the cost of shipping a puzzle can be as much as the value of a puzzle, which is not a good combination.

I DO SELL USED PUZZLES that my family has worked. Working a puzzle for the sake of selling it would definitely NOT be profitable. It takes many hours to complete a large puzzle and the return on time spent would be poor. However, my family enjoys working jigsaw puzzles. I leave a puzzle out on the coffee table and when someone is in the mood, he or she will stop for a few moments and put a few pieces in place.

I DO NOT USUALLY SELL PUZZLES that are opened and that we have not worked.  That means I leave a lot of interesting puzzles behind. However, since I sell on eBay, where a seller's reputation is such an important part of how a buyer finds your item and whether or not he chooses to buy from you, I am unwilling to list a jigsaw puzzle that I cannot guarantee is complete.

How about you? Do you sell jigsaw puzzles? New ones? Used ones?

Or maybe you are a buyer of jigsaw puzzles, in which case we would love to hear your thoughts on buying puzzles, particularly used ones. Do you buy them if they have been opened? If a seller cannot guarantee that they are complete? Or perhaps you only buy sealed puzzles?

If you are a jigsaw puzzle fan, be sure to join us on our Facebook page, WE LOVE JIGSAW PUZZLES. We'd love to hear your puzzling success stories.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Order this fun jigsaw puzzle mug from Etsy.