How to Buy Jigsaw Puzzles for the Fanatic

Jigsaw puzzles were invented in the 18th century when European mapmakers pasted maps onto sheets of wood and cut them into small pieces. Puzzle maps are still used to teach geography to children - and jigsaw puzzles have evolved into a hobby for millions.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Jigsaw Puzzles

1. Immerse yourself in the history of jigsaw puzzles. Puzzling became a fad in the United States in the early 20th century. The invention of interlocking pieces made them even more popular as, at last, a careless sneeze or slammed door no longer undid an entire evening's work.

2. Define your purpose. Antique wooden and cardboard puzzles are highly collectible - more so if they're complete. If your fanatic is interested in the history of puzzles, you may want to look in this direction.

3. Go for new releases if your goal is to provide a few hours of amusement - or frustration.

4. Survey the market to find a puzzle that complements your puzzler's other interests. Puzzles now come in an enormous variety of images - including culinary, fine art, travel and commercial themes.

5. Decide if you will shop in person or online.

Tips & Warnings

• Many creative puzzle addicts make their own - consider having a puzzle custom-made with a family photograph or favorite image.
• Jigsaw puzzles cost $5 in 1908, when the average worker made $50 per month. Puzzles were primarily high-society entertainment (frequently purchased to amuse guests at weekend house parties, for example). But technological innovations brought prices down, and during the Great Depression, puzzling became a popular family entertainment, especially when drugstores and lending libraries began renting them out for a few cents per day.
• Consider adding a library style checkout sheet to the puzzle box - a place for puzzlers to chart information such as name, date, time-to-completion, and any missing pieces - and start a circulating library of your own.
• Don't overlook freestanding or three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles as a unique challenge.
• In 1965, Springbok released a puzzle of the Jackson Pollock painting, "Convergence," dubbing it "the world's most difficult." Since then, manufacturers have competed to release increasingly challenging puzzles.