Take Two - Puzzles I Redo

As with many puzzlers, I get excited when purchasing a new puzzle. When I started my Youtube channel, I had a nicely manageable collection of about 20 puzzles. However, my collection quickly grew, and my to-do pile is well over 100 puzzles. The thought of redoing a puzzle seems wild to me at times. With so many fun images, new brands, and various styles to explore, it is hard to justify doing a puzzle again after it has already been completed. However, several in my collection stand out, and I have done them several times or plan on redoing them again. Here are some common things I see among these prized puzzles that I want to keep in mind when purchasing puzzles in the future. Maybe this is something that may help you when deciding to purchase your next puzzle.

Classic Images

One aspect of these puzzles I was surprised about is that the puzzles I have done more than once all have a timeless style. Santorini Sunset by Ravensburger is one of my most redone puzzles, having done this puzzle three times. You can see with all of these puzzles the timeless images. They could be in any decade, but they don’t seem boring. Each image is bright and colorful but not loud or extremely difficult. Santorini Sunset only takes me about 40 minutes, and I enjoy the image.

Favorite Element

If you watch my YouTube channel, you’d know I LOVE hot air balloons. While I have never been in one, I often would see them when we lived in Temecula, California, where we could see hot air balloons flying over our house every morning. Sometimes they even landed in our neighborhood! I love doing puzzles about Hot Air Balloons; there are so many to choose from. Buffalo Games Up, Up & Away is a puzzle that has not been in my collection long but has already been done twice. Doing a puzzle with a hot air balloon brings me much joy. It reminds me of our old home, but also the image is bright, colorful, and timeless.

 Seasonal

While buying a new puzzle for every holiday is always tempting, I try to purchase holiday puzzles with the intent of doing them again the next year. When I received Sunsout Stealing Me Gold for St. Patty’s Day, I knew it would be a puzzle I do each year. 

Song for the Season by Cobble Hill is longest standing Christmas puzzle in my collection. Not only have I had this in my collection for around eight years, but I now feel it is a tradition to do it every year during December. Maybe it is because there is only a short window to do seasonal puzzles that excites me to do them again. 

 Ideal Piece Count

You may have noticed that all of these puzzles are smaller piece counts. I am not the type of person to redo a larger piece count. I have so many new puzzles in my to-do pile, and the thought of taking 8-10 hours to redo a puzzle doesn’t appeal to me. However, I can easily justify redoing a puzzle that is 300-500 pieces. They aren’t time-consuming; I can watch a tv show late at night and complete the puzzle without issue. Plus, I LOVE the chunky pieces of a 300-piece puzzle. One of my favorite 300 pieces is Pool Cat by Pomegranate. The large, thick pieces make for a fun time.

Outstanding Quality

I may be a bit picky when it comes to quality. There are some brands I do not recommend or may only do if the image is truly something I desire. The quality must have impressed me if I plan on doing the same puzzle again. Recently I borrowed Artist Palette by Ravensburger and loved it! The quality and image was fantastic. I know when I buy from a brand like Ravensburger, Pomegranate, or even Buffalo Games, the puzzle will be able to stand up to the wear and tear of doing the puzzle time and time again.

I’d love to know the most redone puzzle in your collection, so let me know in the comments! 

Emilee – The Casual Puzzler