Tag: 2017

Educa’s Miniature Pieces

puzzler19095 Comments

Educa has a series of 1000 piece puzzles with miniature pieces. The puzzles measure 30×45 cm, where a normal-sized 1000 piece puzzle would usually be about 50×70 cm.

I really like these miniature puzzles, you can take them with you while travelling, should fit on almost any hotel table 🙂

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Gaudí Collage, Educa 1000 pieces. Completed on January 15th, 2009.

The image shows various buildings by Antoni Gaudí.

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A piece on my fingertip to show the size.

Another miniature puzzle with beers:

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Beers, Educa, 1000. pieces. Completed on June 14th, 2008.

I’ve done two more Educa miniature puzzles, the first in the late 90s:

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I only had this picture but no info on the puzzle, but I found it on the jigsaw wiki! It was published in 1997 and it IS a miniature puzzle. I couldn’t be sure before.

The last Educa miniature puzzle that I did I still have. I completed it on May 4th, 2017, in a hotel room in Dortmund, on my last trip before I got my own apartment. It’s called Cans and shows a lot of soft drink cans. I actually have that image as a 2000 piece normal-sized puzzle as well. Anyway, unfortunately, no picture, because the phone it was on was so badly damaged that I couldn’t retrieve the photos on it (except some that had been stored as thumbnails. And yes, I did take it to a professional).

Unfinished

puzzler190911 Comments

It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes I do give up on a puzzle. A couple of times I’ve put it away to try again later, but in most cases, it’s definitely goodbye. Here are two examples:

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Reptilians by M.C. Escher, Selegiochi, 1000 pieces. Gave up on April 1st, 2009.

I just couldn’t get the edges and the last bit of grey right. I tried many times, but in the end, it was no fun anymore, so back in the box it went. It’s really too bad, because I love Escher’s stuff, but all Escher puzzles that I’ve ever seen are horrible quality. Selegiochi is an Italian manufacturer, and I’m obviously not getting any more of their puzzles (I don’t know if they’re even active in the puzzle department anymore). It wasn’t cheap either. At least one person managed to finish this, though, since there’s a photo on the Jigsaw Wiki. I take my hat off to whoever completed it.

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A Mediterranean Harbour, Arrow, 1500 pieces. Gave up on September 25th, 2017.

A more recent case, a puzzle I bought at a flea market. Arrow puzzles (UK manufacturer) are generally not good quality, but this was especially bad. You can see how the pieces wouldn’t stay flat. Again, I just couldn’t get the final bit of sky together. I took some of it apart and tried again, but pretty soon gave up.

When it’s no fun anymore is when you should give up. When there are so many enjoyable puzzles available, why do something you don’t enjoy?