The purpose of this blog is to connect (yes, pun intended) with the puzzle community. I need to educate myself to know what people do not like, as much as what they do like, so I can be certain to write about what is relevant to all of us puzzlers. I want to entertain as well as add value.

As with anything we love, there are things that annoy us. I was curious as to what pet peeves were at the top of the list for my fellow puzzlers. I asked the question online, and I had over 100 responses that were noted and summarized below.

Dust in Jigsaw Puzzle Box

The number one complaint was about... puzzle dust. I’ll be keeping this in mind when I do a review so I can point out how much puzzle dust is in the box. The more I know, the more I can help puzzlers decide if they want to try something. Puzzle dust are the particles and shavings that come from the cutting machines during the manufacturing process. It’s very fine and gets everywhere! I usually do one or two sorting sessions from the box and then tip the box in to the garbage. Other people use a strainer to sift the pieces before they start. Others use mesh laundry bags or mini vacuums to clean up the dust. 

Puzzles Brands

The next big complaint is from puzzlers who follow the box when they are doing their puzzles. There are a few brands that cover the box image with their logo. We can’t see the image if they are blocking it with their branding. This isn’t such a problem if a poster is included in the box, but not all brands include a poster and then we need to look online for an image to guide us. Along with this issue, sometimes the photo on the box is not representative of the actual image. I have seen this myself where the colors are faded and do not match. It is very frustrating to try and match a piece to its place and find that the colors on the box or poster are not the same as the piece itself. Puzzles are about images. We need to see a complete and clear image that is not pixelated and is not resized to fit the number of pieces. Some images are better to be 500 pieces and some better as 2000.

Broken Pieces

Finally, the pieces. Bad cut and bad fit are just exasperating. We want it to be a challenge but we don’t want the pieces to fit in multiple places. We want to know when we get it right. Sometimes the pieces are too thin and break in the middle. They snap or peel off from the backing. We don’t want to have to do surgery on our pieces and have glue handy at all times.

I had comments about pieces that are too glossy, or puzzles with too much sky or water.  While those are valid points - those are mostly a matter of personal preference that will still be taken into account. Other complaints were regarding high prices, total qualifying spend to receive free online shipping, missing pieces, and online sellers who were selling fake or counterfeit puzzles. 

And since no one is wrong when it comes to puzzling, I will be sure to keep all these things in mind when I write. What annoys you? Join the conversation today. I want to know!