Joy of a Completed Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle

The subject of this puzzle, Neuschwanstein Castle, is one that makes me wish that I could've been a collector of experiences/memories, as opposed to one who collects material items, because this is the sort of place that I would love to see in person. Unfortunately for me, not only was I not made for travel, but with all of the trivial things that I'm constantly being compelled to buy, even if I were the sort who could travel, I'd never be able to save up enough money for a such a trip.

This puzzle seemed like it was gonna be a bit more difficult than usual, and honestly, was, at least until the sky got finished. After that, it was pretty smooth sailing castling. Also, given where I bought this, I really didn't think that it was going to be complete, so it was a pleasant surprise to find that it was.

And apologies for doing two puzzle posts in a row on here. I don't want this to turn into a puzzle blog, but a bout of depression showed up a few weeks ago, and I'm having trouble shaking it. This of course, has made blogging (posting and reading) more difficult, thus resulting in less posts across my three blogs this month (and part of last). I have been working slowly on one of the music countdowns that I teased a couple of months ago, and think that I'll be able to start that within the next few weeks.

Anyway, as per usual, I'll leave you with a better picture of the puzzle, courtesy of the box...

Puzzle Details:

Maker: Milton Bradley 

Title: Neuschwanstein Castle

Size: 1000 pieces

Price Paid: $1.99

Joy of a Completed Puzzle: Best Sellers

This was one of the quicker puzzles that I've finished in quite some time, but given the subject matter, and the wonderful variety that it provided, it was awfully hard not to want to work on it.

There are 53 titles shown on here, though "Black Beauty" is featured twice for some reason, which leaves 52 different books. Of those 52, I've only read a paltry 18; those being...

The Secret Garden

Romeo and Juliet (though not the Illustrated Classics version in the puzzle)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

To Kill a Mockingbird

Treasure Island

Tarzan the Ape Man

The Time Machine

The Invisible Man

Jaws

War of the Worlds

Around the World in 80 Days

1984

Charlotte's Web

Frankenstein

Sherlock Holmes (the version shown at the bottom is the "complete and unabridged")

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

There are about 10 more books that I should've read by now, but for whatever reason, haven't. I have been on the lookout for a few when I go to McKay's, but haven't found any cheap copies to date. Of course too, there are a few here that I have zero interest in reading, and will not be doing so even if it would mean that I could say that I've read them. 

And even though it's not the same, I have seen the film version of a number of the books here that I haven't read (as well as those that I have read), and have seen the Perry Mason episode of "The Case of the Lucky Loser" many times over the years. 

Anyway, this was a terribly fun puzzle to put together. And since my photo up top leaves much to be desired, I'll leave you with a better one from the box.

Puzzle Details:

Maker: White Mountain

Title: Best Sellers

Size: 1000 pieces

Price Paid: $1

Joy of a Completed Puzzle: Antique Barn

It's been a while since I've put together a puzzle, maybe six months, possibly longer. The last one I did wound up missing a piece, which is always the shits, and usually puts me off puzzles for a bit; hence my going so long in-between puzzles.

I don't usually do puzzles that contain cutesy animals, but the ones on this particular puzzle were negated by all of the wonderful stuff that's been set out for sale.

This was a fun puzzle, thanks mostly to the subject matter, and all of the colors.

Here's a few more photos where you can see what's what a little better:

Sell sheet

Box cover

Puzzle Details:

Maker: Buffalo Games & Puzzles

Series: Country Life

Title: Antique Barn

Size: 1000 pieces

Price paid: $1

Joy of a Completed Puzzle: Television History

If you've ever been to an Ollie's, you probably already know that they will often have a large selection of discounted puzzles. Granted, they're not always the most interesting of puzzles, but at least there's plenty to look through. Occasionally though, they will have one that stands out from the rest, today's puzzle being one.

At 1,000 pieces, this was my standard fare, but in terms of dimensions, "24 x "30, it was a little bit bigger than the puzzles I usually do. Being so large, it was a bit of a challenge to try and get a decent picture for the blog.

Even the sell sheet inside was oversized, so much so that it wouldn't all fit on the scan tray; hence another glarey picture.

99% of my puzzles come from thrift stores, so it was nice to work on a brand new one for a change. This is only the second new one that I've done in recent memory. 

The puzzle itself was very fun to put together, but I do have two minor complaints:

1. There were an awful lot of pieces that weren't cut all the way through. Now it's not uncommon to find a few pieces in any puzzle that are still attached on the back, but this one had more than a few. There were even a couple that had completely missed the cutter. Partially cut pieces are one thing, at least you can take a hobby knife and finish the backs on those, but when they haven't been cut at all, you're kind of SOL. This is the first White Mountain puzzle that I've ever done, so I don't know if this is a common issue with them, or if this was just an anomaly. Either way, it's something to keep in mind if you're looking to pay full price for one of their puzzles.

2. For the most part the artist, James Mellett, did a pretty good job with his documentation of television history, but there were two notable exceptions missing from the group; Perry Mason (cast or just Raymond Burr by himself), and George & Gracie. The former was noticed right away, while the latter didn't come to me until I was taking it apart. Two pretty big whiffs if you ask me.

Also, not a complaint, but still worth noting. Mr. Mellett decided to use existing animation for all of the animated characters rather than illustrate them himself. I don't know if this was part of a licensing agreement, or if it was just a choice on the part of the artist. It doesn't take away from the overall aesthetic, it just makes for an interesting juxtaposition.

Final thoughts: Fun puzzle to put together. Great subject matter. Poor Machinery. Might not be worth paying full retail price for.