While it’s not at toilet-paper levels of scarcity yet, the classic jigsaw puzzle is no longer something you can just mozy on over to Amazon to buy when the urge to puzzle strikes.
Apparently all of America has decided at once that we want to do something other than watch Netflix, and puzzling is our stay-at-home recreation of choice. Just like other industries with products that have sold out during the coronavirus pandemic, the jigsaw puzzle industry was not prepared for the demand.
Good news — with a little sleuthing and a willingness to pay a little more than you would have three months ago, you can still find a jigsaw puzzle.
Download the KCL app and we’ll tap you on the shoulder when we see a puzzle deal. In the meantime, check out these options:
1. Buy 1,000-piece Ravensburger jigsaw puzzles from Barnes & Noble or local hobby stores.
Ravensburger puzzles have been around for over 100 years, but due to high demand for puzzles right now, you can’t currently buy them on Ravensburger.com. The company has suspended direct shipments from its website in order to supply retailers like Barnes & Noble, Target and local toy shops. Target jigsaw puzzles are mostly out of stock, so I recommend you go straight to BarnesandNoble.com. You can also get them curbside at Barnes & Noble.
If that’s a bust, call your local mom & pop toy or hobby shop to see if they have any puzzles in stock.
Many of them carry puzzles but you can’t buy them online. I called my local hobby store and they’re doing curbside pickup for phone orders. I scored a 1,000 piece Ravensburger puzzle!
2. Buy a clear jigsaw puzzle from Simply Laser until Amazon gets them back in stock.
Clear jigsaw puzzles aren’t 1,000 pieces, but they are challenging because there’s no image or color to guide you, just the shape of the pieces.
They’re almost impossible to find online right now, but I found a few at SimplyLaser.com. The prices are about the same as prices on Amazon, but since Amazon is prioritizing household items and holding off receiving new shipments of items that aren’t in that category, you won’t find many puzzles available.
The clear jigsaw puzzle on Amazon isn’t back in stock until the end of June.
3. Shop Michaels puzzles if you don’t want to get price gouged.
Michaels is selling tons of kids puzzles, but you’ll also find hidden gems like these 8-in-1 adult puzzle sets ranging from 300-1,000 pieces each. Eight puzzles for $22 is a steal right now.
Order online and opt for curbside pickup if you can’t get free shipping.
4. Buy Madd Capp puzzles and spend $19.99 per 550-piece puzzle.
Madd Capp puzzles are affordable and they’re poster-size when completed (27″ x 27″). Plus, while Madd Capp doesn’t have every puzzle in stock right now, they have plenty for you to choose from.
5. For traditional adult jigsaw puzzles, shop Springbok Puzzles and Puzzle Warehouse.
Springbok-Puzzles.com has 36-1,500 piece puzzles and stock is decent right now.
Expect to pay for shipping, and it’s expensive. I ordered a $17.50, 1,000 piece puzzle and paid $8.88 in shipping. Also, your puzzle won’t ship for 5-7 days so expect it to take a week and a half or so to reach you.
But if this is what Springbok needs to do in order to keep pumping out the puzzles, so be it!
PuzzleWarehouse.com is another great option with good inventory. You can check inventory by puzzle brand name (Ravensburger puzzles are “Business as Usual” while Lafayette Puzzle Company is listed as “Closed”).
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6. If you’re fast, grab a jigsaw puzzle on Etsy.
Since Etsy shops are owned by actual people, not mass-producing warehouses, items sell out really fast. But a quick search for Etsy jigsaw puzzles returned quite a few available options!
In fact, I found a 1,000-piece Ravensburger puzzle for $26.99. Sure, that’s more than you may want to pay, but if you absolutely cannot find a puzzle anywhere else, it’s an option.
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7. Shop Bits and Pieces for a 300-750 piece adult puzzle.
Your jigsaw puzzle will take a while to get to you, since BitsandPieces.com orders won’t ship for 7-10 days (and you’ll still pay up to $10 in shipping!), but selection is fantastic for smaller puzzles.
You’ll find a couple 1,000 piece puzzles still in stock, but if you can handle going with one in the 300-750 piece range, you’ll have a lot of different puzzles to choose from.
8. Scroll past the kid puzzles on Kohls.com for a few 1,000-piece adult puzzles.
Kohls.com has Melissa & Doug kid puzzles galore, but what about adult puzzles?
I found a couple 1,000-piece puzzles for adults by scrolling past all the kid puzzles. Selection is puny, sure, but if you can find a puzzle you like, it’s worth looking! Especially since you can use Kohl’s Cash to buy it.
9. Shop Walmart for a constantly replenishing supply of puzzles.
Walmart toys and games carries all the puzzles. And if they don’t for some reason while you’re on their website, check back because they will get more.
BONUS: Can’t find a puzzle to buy? Try virtual jigsaw puzzles online — they’re free.
If you want to play a jigsaw puzzle but you can’t find any in stock to buy, try a virtual jigsaw puzzle — you don’t need to rotate the pieces, just drag and drop to place them where they go, making it slightly easier to finish quickly.
Many of these websites have a puzzle of the day that you can receive in your email daily.
Also, virtual jigsaw puzzles are timed, so you can compete with other people finishing the same puzzle if you’d like to.
Don’t scroll up! Here are the articles mentioned:
Groceries and Coronavirus: How to Find Out-of-Stock Items
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