Shopping

Today I went to several different flea markets (some are like garage sales, some more like thrift stores) and managed to pick up 9 puzzles. I used to buy almost all my puzzles like this because I couldn’t often afford new puzzles. I got quite bored with Alpine landscapes. Then, for a long time, I bought only new puzzles, with exactly the motives I wanted. (This, in turn, resulted in my eventually having enough of old maps, but more about that later.) Anyway, now and then IĀ  like to pick up some puzzles that I would probably never work on otherwise. Today’s haul:

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Definitely the best of the bunch. 3000 pieces, Clementoni. Good quality. I’ve never had one from the Mosaico-series before, only newer Clementoni puzzles.Ā  Oh, and I’m fine with Alpine landscapes again. I’d just had too much at one point. This is going to Dortmund.
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Play Time is a Dutch manufacturer, and all the pieces are the same basic shape. Not too hopeful about this one…

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The 500-piece beach is a Tactic-puzzle. Tactic is a Finnish manufacturer, and the quality is good, but I usually find the images boring. This is only my second Tactic puzzle.

Next to it is a German puzzle, the manufacturer is called Spiel Spass (“Game Fun”), and this is the first puzzle I’ve had from them ( I always thought they only make children’s puzzles). It’s a triptych, with 500+1000+500 pieces, and it’s still factory sealed! It’s called Poppy Meadow.

The Schmidt puzzle is also factory sealed. The quality will, of course, be great, but it will not be easy…

I’ve done a Ravensburger Colosseum, and here’s a Clementoni version. A few clouds in that sky would not go amiss…

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I almost left the Educa with Sagrada Familia, it’s going to be difficult.

Variant is another Dutch brand, and I know it’s not going to be good. I’ve tried it before, but I can’t remember a particular puzzle. What I do remember is that the quality was not good. Still, nice image.

Finally, more Alpine views from Ravensburger. The box looks like it’s been through the wars, I’ll be amazed if all the pieces are there. This was the cheapest, 0,50 €, with the most expensive (the 3000 piece Clementoni) costing 3,50 €. Not bad!

Mystery Puzzles, vol 2

Some more puzzles that I completed and photographed in the mid or late 90s:

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I think this puzzle had miniature pieces, but I can’t be sure. There was unfortunately nothing in the picture that would allow me to estimate how large the puzzle was. Since I know Educa has miniature puzzles I tried Googling those, but no luck. 1000 pieces, I think.
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I think I see the Whitman logo above the text “Spartan 2000”, but none of this helped on Google. The picture looks like a small German town, but I guess it could be anywhere in central Europe. At least I know it’s 2000 pieces, at least one missing (above on the right).
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Finally, a King puzzle, and again, the picture looks German to me. Too bad I can’t read the text on the building, that would definitely help with placing the building at least. Google was no help this time either.

As before, if anyone reading this happens to have some information about these puzzles I would be very happy to hear about it.

Collage of Operas, 2018-09-06

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Collage of Operas, Educa, 3000 pieces, completed on September 6th, 2018.

I had actually decided not to get anymore Educa-puzzles because the pieces too often fit where they don’t belong, which I hate. Then I saw this, and thought, well, maybe just one more šŸ™‚ With virtually no monochrome areas and very distinct details it is less of a problem that pieces fit in the wrong places, and I love the image.

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I don’t often have pictures of unfinished puzzles from before I started this blog, but here’s one.