500 Pieces Archives - Puzzling For Fun

St Augustine Puzzle from Dowdle

Some days you get lucky when you’re out perusing antique malls or thrift shops, looking for puzzles. I hit the jackpot at the West Chester Antique Center outside of Cincinnati the other day. It seemed like every time I turned a corner I came upon a booth full of used puzzles. All in great shape. All at great prices. One of the ones I picked up was this St Augustine Puzzle from Dowdle. We’ve done a number of Dowdle puzzles and enjoyed them all. This one was no exception!

Tough Out Of The Gate

At first glance, I really thought that sorting this St Augustine Puzzle from Dowdle was going to be a nightmare. I usually leave the sorting to my wife. She’s a sorting genius. I’d probably have given up on this one or at least taken 3 weeks to do it. But nope, she got to it and got it done. I have no clue how.

Oddly, from there this puzzle got easier. The pieces are cut so that you can’t get them wrong. That’s a big help. I often found myself putting pieces into place not because I could tell from the image, but from the way the pieces were cut. And they just fell into place! Like boom boom boom! And in no time we were done.

I wasn’t able to find this puzzle for sale on Amazon, but you can get it from Buffalo Games’ website.

Bestseller No. 1

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Buffalo Games – Eric Dowdle Festival of Trees…

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The Last Piece

There is a small poster included with this puzzle. There are numbers on the poster that you can use to identify landmarks in St. Augustine. The completed puzzle is about 16″ high and 20″ wide. The pieces are randomly shaped and fit well. It’s very hard to get a piece in the wrong spot. The colors are bright and the imagery is fun. This puzzle contains 500 pieces and is fairly easy to complete despite the image looking really complicated!

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
BUILT-IN LED LIGHT & 3X MAGNIFIER: Integrated LED…

Promises Promises Puzzle from Buffalo Games

I probably say it too much. But it’s true. We always love doing a puzzle of Charles Wysocki‘s art after we’ve finished a really hard puzzle. It’s not so much that puzzles of his nostalgic, stylized works are easy. They can be quite challenging. No, it’s more like that feeling you get coming home from a long day at work. Or a long trip. Comforting. Familiar. This Promises, Promises Puzzle from Buffalo Games was another example of that. Although we finished it fairly quickly, we enjoyed it just as much as we do larger puzzles. It’s another Wysocki favorite of ours!

SaleBestseller No. 1

Buffalo Games – Aimee Stewart The Nostalgic Baker…

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Buffalo Games Charles Wysocki Whistle Stop…

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Buffalo Games Meadowlark Horse Farm Charles…

CHARLES WYSOCKI MEADOWLARK HORSE FARM: A stately…
DETAILED AMERICANA FARM DISCOVERY: Discover a…

Snow Blind

We kind of divvied up the assembling of this puzzle. My wife worked the bottom half and I worked the top. She loves the parts of the Wysocki puzzles where there are horses, carts, and animals so this Promises Promises Puzzle from Buffalo Games was perfect for her. Me, I got ‘stuck’ with the snow and sky. You’d think that after all my years of puzzling, the larger pieces and the smaller puzzle, that I’d knock them out in no time. But nope. I hit some roadblocks. They made it fun. I love a good puzzle challenge.

In the end this was another great puzzle. Actually, not just in the end. It was great from start to finish!

The Last Piece

This 500 piece puzzle included a nice poster. The assembled puzzle is about 21″ wide and 15″ high. The pieces fit kinda tightly and it is possible to put pieces where they don’t belong (“mis-fits” or “false fits”). The color and image quality are fantastic. It’s another great example of Wysocki artwork and a quality Buffalo Games puzzle.

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
BUILT-IN LED LIGHT & 3X MAGNIFIER: Integrated LED…

Cincinnati Puzzle from Dowdle

We were in Cincinnati at an antique mall. I was perusing the booths when I ran into this Cincinnati puzzle from Dowdle. I had to have it. I was in Cincy, after all. And we both love puzzles of Eric Dowdle’s works. They’re often challenging, and always great to look at. Even as Indiana Hoosiers we were able to identify many of the landmarks in this puzzle. Red’s stadium (Go Reds!). PNC Bank. And of course, there’s even a Skyline Chili sign! This was a fun puzzle for sure!

I wasn’t able to find this puzzle online new, but you can always find it (and many others) used on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores or flea markets, and our favorite place to find used puzzles, antique malls!

Bestseller No. 1

Ceaco – Eric Dowdle 24 Day Advent Calendar…

Countdown to the Holidays with this Beautiful…
Unbox a new mini puzzle each day as you countdown…

SaleBestseller No. 2

Buffalo Games – Eric Dowdle Get Your Kicks on…

Guided Puzzling for Adults: Dive into Buffalo…
Perfect-Fit Precision Pieces: Enjoy a smooth…

Bestseller No. 3

Buffalo Games – Eric Dowdle Festival of Trees…

Puzzle with Visual Guide: The Eric Dowdle…
Precision-Cut Pieces: Enjoy the satisfaction of…

No Stroll Along The River

I can’t say we’ve ever ‘blown through’ a Dowdle puzzle. The colors and pieces can make them challenging. That’s what we want, right? And we want things we can identify. As visitors to Cincinnati on a regular basis, we found this to be a really fun puzzle and one we definitely didn’t finish in just minutes!

The Last Piece

This 500 piece puzzle did not include a poster. The image on the box is a bit small, and somewhat obscured (at least on front of the box). The assembled puzzle is about 20″ wide and 16″ high. The pieces (some are cut in wild shapes) fit great but we did have a few false fits (you know, pieces that looked like they went somewhere but really didn’t belong there). The color and image quality are fantastic. The puzzle came in a nice box. This is a quality puzzle that is a real joy to assemble.

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
BUILT-IN LED LIGHT & 3X MAGNIFIER: Integrated LED…

Farm Cottage Puzzle from Cardinal

We usually find ourselves making 1000 piece (or more puzzles). But that doesn’t mean we don’t love smaller puzzles just as much! We found this Farm Cottage Puzzle from Cardinal (now Spin Master) in my parent’s storage room. It’d been there for a bit. Who doesn’t have puzzles stored away somewhere? So we grabbed it and brought it home to enjoy ourselves.

Buffalo Games – Aimee Stewart – Farm Fresh…

Contains a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle
Finished size is 26.75 x 19.75 inches

Pretty Scene. Pretty Challenging.

This Farm Cottage Puzzle from Cardinal was sorta deceiving. Usually a 500-piece puzzle doesn’t take us that long to finish. This one took a bit longer. It had its challenging spots. That’s good. I’d say we got our money’s worth but we got it for free!

The Last Piece

This puzzle contains 500 pieces. The final puzzle is about 24″ wide and 18″ high. There was no poster included but we did it get used, so perhaps the original came with one. The pieces are fit fairly well. The image is well-done and fun to look at.

Bestseller No. 1

Dungeons & Dragons, Build and Explore Adventure…

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Spin Master Games 2-Pack 1000-Piece Puzzles…

JIGSAW PUZZLE 2 PACK: The perfect activity for the…
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Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
BUILT-IN LED LIGHT & 3X MAGNIFIER: Integrated LED…

Annie’s Hideaway Puzzle from MasterPieces

This Annie’s Hideaway puzzle from MasterPieces caught our eye at Hobby Lobby because the image on the box was so colorful and the scene so fun. We usually do larger puzzles, but we don’t let that stop us from doing any size if we like the picture. Plus there are times when we just want a quicker, relaxing puzzle that rewards us a bit sooner than a week-long (or longer) effort.

Masterpieces 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle For Adults…

Matte Finish – Our matte finish helps reduce…
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Bright And Fun

This was one of my favorite puzzles just because the kids room in the image just looked fun. Big time fun. Annie’s Hideaway puzzle from MasterPieces has all sorts of neat things in it. Dinosaurs. A fire truck. A model airplane. And I have to say, it is one of best organized toy collections that I’ve seen. But you would have to be careful of where you step…

The Last Piece

This puzzle contains 550 pieces. The final puzzle is about 24″ wide and 18″ high. There was no poster included, but I didn’t really miss it. The pieces are fairly big and thick and fit fairly well. There is a bit of a gap between the pieces in places, but that didn’t detract from the fun of assembling it or enjoying the final puzzle. The image is well-done and fun to look at.

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MasterPieces 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Mom’s…

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MasterPieces 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle | Let the…

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MasterPieces 1000 Piece Christmas Jigsaw Puzzle…

1000 piece puzzle
Perfect for any fanatic

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Dad’s Shed Puzzle from Ravensburger

We usually do 1000 piece puzzles. And sometimes a 2000 piece one here and there. And we’ve been known to ‘take a break’ and do a smaller puzzle. Well, just because a puzzle has less pieces definitely doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be easy. Nope. Not at all. The Dad’s Shed puzzle from Ravensburger is proof of that. We started out thinking we’d finish this puzzle in short order. Instead, we struggled with the browns. Lots of browns. But it was a fun struggle and we really, really enjoyed the result. This puzzle reminded us of each of our dad’s in so many ways. So many of the same things could be found in this puzzle as in their workshops.

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UNIQUE SOFTCLICK TECHNOLOGY: Experience a seamless…
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A Great Quality Puzzle

One thing you can always count on with a Ravensburger puzzle is quality. The pieces in the Dad’s Shed puzzle are nice and thick. And large. And they fit together perfectly. You can pick up the finished puzzle by a corner and not even a single piece will fall off. It’s that good. Ravensburger puzzles are more expensive for a reason: they’re better. And it’s not just the construction that’s better, the artwork is nicer. This puzzle comes from a painting. It’s super-detailed and a joy to assemble and look at.

The Last Piece

This puzzle contains 500 high-quality pieces. The final puzzle is about 20″ high and 27″ wide. Our puzzle did not include a poster, but we bought it used so it’s possible that it came with one when purchased new. There are some challenging spots in this puzzle. This is a great, quality puzzle!

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Ravensburger – Merry Mischief – 1000 Piece Jigsaw…

Midnight in a Christmas Kitchen: Giggle along as…
Crafted with Glare-Free Premium Materials: These…

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
BUILT-IN LED LIGHT & 3X MAGNIFIER: Integrated LED…

The Potting Shed Puzzle from Eurographics

We have a fairly large shed behind our house. It’s where we keep the mower, pots, tools and stuff. It is nowhere near as organized as the one in the Potting Shed puzzle from Eurographics. Not even close. This puzzle was more fun to put together than organizing our shed could ever be. There are all sorts of neat garden things in it, many of them old. Some vintage. Kinda like our shed. And there is the obligatory cat. We no longer have a cat but we definitely have mice and a rather energetic ground squirrel living in our shed.

EuroGraphics – The Potting Shed 1000 Piece Jigsaw…

1000-Piece puzzle
Box size: 10″ x 14″ x 2.37″

My Pet Peeve

We really did enjoy assembling the Potting Shed puzzle from Eurographics. But… now it’s time for one my pet peeves. This puzzle did not come with a poster, which is fine. We can work from the picture on the box. Well, sort of. You see, there were little graphics, words, that covered parts of the picture on the box. It wasn’t a big thing, but it kinda gets me going. I know people that assemble puzzles without ever looking at the picture so I got a slight feel for what that’s like. I think I’ll stay to using a picture!

The Last Piece

This puzzle contains 500 pieces. The final puzzle is about 27″ wide and 19″ high. There was no poster included and as I mentioned, a little bit of the picture on the box was obscured. The pieces are fairly big and thick and fit fairly well. The image is well-done and fun to look at.

We purchased this puzzle at Hobby Lobby but you can also find a larger version (1000 pieces) on Amazon.

SaleBestseller No. 1

EuroGraphics Sagrada Familia, Barcelona…

Bring Barcelona’s icon to your table! This vivid…
HDR Photography, City Collection, All Jigsaw…

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EuroGraphics Corvette Evolution Jigsaw Puzzle…

Package length: 35.56 cm
Package width: 25.654 cm

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EuroGraphics Nutcracker Sweet 1000-Piece Puzzle

1000-Piece Puzzle
Finished Puzzle Size: 19. 25″ x 26. 5″

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
BUILT-IN LED LIGHT & 3X MAGNIFIER: Integrated LED…

Noodles For Lunch Puzzle from Galison

It never fails. We make a puzzle that is food-themed and I get hungry. This time it was the Noodles for Lunch puzzle from Galison. Thirty five bowls of noodles. If that doesn’t get you hungry, nothing will. Each bowl is different. The chopsticks are different colors. And the backgrounds are different. Thankfully. Otherwise this would’ve been one seriously-tough puzzle. As it was, it wasn’t that hard. But then, it wasn’t that easy either.

Galison – Noodles for Lunch 500 Piece Jigsaw…

🍜500-PIECE PUZZLE – The Noodles for Lunch…
🍜STUNNING DETAILS – This captivating food…

A Tight Fit

I was able to pick this Noodles for Lunch puzzle from Galison up by a corner piece when we were done. The pieces fit tight and do not come apart easily. It’s hard to make mistakes putting this one together. It’s pretty obvious if you have a piece wrong. Or even try to put a piece in the wrong spot.

Is this puzzle a frameable work of art when you’re done? Probably not. But it’s a cool puzzle nonetheless and it was fun to do. And that’s the whole idea!

The Last Piece

This puzzle contains 500 pieces. The final puzzle is a square that is 20″ x 20″. The pieces fit really well and are nice and thick. The images of the bowls are a little less crisp making them a bit challenging but not super-difficult. There is a poster included. This is a great challenging puzzle!

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Galison – Autumn at the City Market 1000 Piece…

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BRIGHT AND BOLD ARTWORK – This colorful puzzle…

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
BUILT-IN LED LIGHT & 3X MAGNIFIER: Integrated LED…

Buc-ee’s Craves Puzzle

We’ve apparently become Buc-ee’s addicts. We can’t take a roadtrip without planning at least one stop at the ‘Disneyland of convenience stores’. We eat there. Of course, we get gas there. We shop there. And yep, we get puzzles there! This Buc-ee’s Craves puzzle shows some of the favorite items at the craziest roadside destination we’ve ever seen!

Be a Beaver Believer

This Buc-ee’s Craves puzzle didn’t take too long to complete. But it sure was fun. It made me hungry for the Buc-ee’s brisket sandwich (chopped or sliced, it’s your choice!). I love those. And the pulled pork. And the pecans. Oh, it’s easy to see why people love Buc-ee’s so much!

You’ll have to go to a Buc-ee’s to buy this puzzle (and ton of other things) as they are not available online.

ALL4JIG 1500 Piece Rotating Puzzle Board with…

【Serve Year After Year】 Crafted from…
【Solid As A Rock】 Engineered with advanced…

The Last Piece

This puzzle does not include a poster. Some of the graphics on the front of the box cover the picture so you’ll need the pictures on the sides of the box if you get stuck.. There are 500 pieces in this puzzle. The assembled puzzle is about 15″ high and 21″ wide. The pieces fit fairly loosely. The colors were great. There are definitely a few challenging spots to be found, especially with all of the brown pieces!

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MasterPieces 1000 Piece Sports Jigsaw Puzzle – NFL…

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Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
BUILT-IN LED LIGHT & 3X MAGNIFIER: Integrated LED…

Turkey In The Straw Puzzle from Buffalo Games

We needed a break. A break from the huge, tougher puzzles we’d been doing. Oh don’t get me wrong, we love doing puzzles that takes us several days. We love the challenge. But we just wanted something smaller and quicker. But still nice. So we put together this Turkey In The Straw puzzle from Buffalo Games. Another work by Charles Wysocki, and we so enjoyed this puzzle. We’ve found ourselves loving Mr. Wysocki’s art more and more.

The Right Size For A Few Hours Of Fun

This wasn’t a huge puzzle. It was the perfect puzzle for a Saturday afternoon. Sorting the pieces was pretty straightforward. The colors were great. We loved the picture in this Turkey In The Straw puzzle from Buffalo Games. It’s one of those puzzles you just feel warm looking at. From start to finish.

Buffalo Games – Charles Wysocki – Turkey in the…

500 PIECE JIGSAW PUZZLE – This 500-piece jigsaw…
FUN AND RELAXING ACTIVITY: Puzzling is an…

The Last Piece

This puzzle includes a poster that is frameable by itself. There are 500 pieces in this puzzle. The assembled puzzle is about 21″ wide and 15″ high. The pieces fit very well and the image quality on the pieces is fantastic. The colors were great and the pieces are thick and cut perfectly. This is a quality puzzle that brings a few hours of enjoyment.

SaleBestseller No. 1

Buffalo Games Charles Wysocki, All Burned Out…

Bonus Poster Included: Delve into the 1000-piece…
Seamless Piece Fit: Experience the satisfaction of…

Bestseller No. 2

Buffalo Games Charles Wysocki 1000 Piece Puzzles…

Guided Assembly: Buffalo Games – Charles Wysocki…
Proudly American-Made: Choose a puzzle crafted in…

Bestseller No. 3

Buffalo Games Charles Wysocki Whistle Stop…

Nostalgic Holiday Build: Dive into the festive…
Easy Scene Matching: Assemble your 1000 piece…

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
BUILT-IN LED LIGHT & 3X MAGNIFIER: Integrated LED…