Reviewing $1 Jigsaw Puzzles (YIKES)

[@KarenPuzzles]

Have you ever had a puzzle missing a piece straight out of the box??

[@winterbird4174]

no

[@crochetwithayden5123]

No, I have not! I don't really do puzzles a lot but I would be frustrated if that happened.

[@boncar55]

I never have, but I have had an extra piece.

[@meliswein]

YES! With Dollar Tree puzzles! I searched for it everywhere because I thought I had dropped it.

[@bryanamado8147]

No, but my girlfriend keeps losing pieces haha!! how can I tell her that I don't wan't her help without breaking her heart? :P (sorry for bad english) I love your videos!

[@liriosogno6762]

You having a duplicated piece means someone else is missing that piece 😂

[@GaryCameron780]

One of the other puzzles was missing a piece so it evens out. LOL

[@ceaberrys]

I had two missing pieces and 5 duplicate ones.

[@shirleysrussell6235]

I have done maybe 2 puzzles in my life and I'm old enough to be your grandmother. I didn't know why I didn't like them until I watched your channel and agree many puzzles lack interest. I don't like dark or fuzzy photographed puzzles. Today I went out and looked around but the good stuff is gone from the shelves after the holidays. I was determined to find something and I lucked out at Dollar Tree. It is a 100 pc puzzle which is all I am cable of at the moment. I found a Puzzlebug. Turned out to be a photograph, but a good bright photo of 3 parrots, each a different color. You're right, the quality was very poor, but at least it is a puzzle. In order not to be disappointed, I opened the box (had to reinforce it with tape) and counted the pieces! They were all there. I'm off on a new adventure! Thanks for your help and reviews. I've learned a lot from you. Now I can shop and recognize brand names, look for studry boxes, bright illustrated puzzles with quality cardboard pieces.

[@Whitney_Sews]

I love dollar store puzzles for my kids! They are 2.5 and almost 4 years old so they are pretty hard on puzzles. I buy 16-32 piece puzzles, cut the image off the box and store the pic and pieces in a sandwich box with a snap on lid. Then when a puzzle gets too damaged it gets thrown out and we get a new one to go in that reusable box. As they get older, if they still love puzzles I'll buy them some nicer quality ones, but at this point $1 is all I'm willing to invest.

[@KarenPuzzles]

That's a great point! Kids definitely don't need the highest quality puzzles.

[@naemi1985]

Whitney Sews! I dont sew, but I love your videos haha. And your kids are adorable!!

[@carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102]

When I was 5 years old I got a map of Canada puzzle from the Children's hospital for free and although it's definitely not the greatest quality it's still fun to do.

[@branamar000]

When I first started learning to cope with my anxiety and OCD puzzles were a great outlet for me and I wanted to do them so often but didn’t want to keep redoing the same couple so we went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of different ones and they were great for that. I didn’t need high quality ones, they’re decent for the price :)

[@MsMastress]

Omg me too! I just started doing them out of nowhere and they've been really helpful

[@Xeyxey0]

Do them colored side down 😱 I'd be super impressed at that lol

[@johnleonard317]

My daughter and I have done maybe 50 dollar store puzzles. Never had a missing piece, but just had our first with a duplicate. We like the 500 piece puzzles the best, but also do 1000 pieces puzzles, too. It is nice because it you start a cheap puzzle and get bored, you are not out much if you stop.

[@cramias1]

For someone who doesn't display puzzle boxes and doesn't really worry about the boxes looking neat and clean on the shelf after I'm done with them, these kind of boxes are nice, just in the fact that you're creating less plastic waste than the puzzles that come in a neat'looking box with a plastic bag of pieces inside.

[@debbiefromillinois532]

I ❤️ the dollar puzzles. They are great for traveling. Also, when my friend was in the hospital, we could sit and finish one in an hour or so. 😀

[@bianca2792]

I’m from Illinois too

[@kngol1]

I once had a puzzle with 5 corners... that completely threw me! The only time I do the puzzlebug brand puzzles is when I'm in hospital because they are small enough to do on the small table in my room, and they are better than the puzzles in the hospital that are missing heaps of pieces! And because they are really cheap, I don't feel bad asking my friends that are visiting to pick one up for me to do.

[@JessScreams]

2:11 I do like that that means no plastic though! Maybe there’s a better way to execute that though

[@fiig5196]

Whenever I bought a larger dollar store puzzle , they always had one missing piece. It was like a punishment for being poor 😤

[@D...M...A...]

hug to you...

[@bristolrovers27]

For a dollar they are a good bargain for people on a tight budget.

[@karena2746]

I left a comment on here. If you actually flip the pieces over on the back side. Sprayed them a couple of times with Modge Podge. I noticed that after doing this the puzzle pieces got more solid like regular puzzle pieces. I recommend three to four layers of modge podge spray. I believe you have to wait anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes Per layer because you want to make sure that the layers dry in between. Then give it about an hour or two because you want to make sure that the puzzles pieces are completely dry before you put them back in the box. What the Mod Podge does is that it actually makes the cardboard solid and stiff. That's a sure sign right there that you know you arts and crafts too much and you need other Hobbies. This whatever Mod Podge you decide to use rather be the solid glues or the spray can. just make sure you something that has very low gloss in it because I noticed that I got one where had a high gloss in it and made things glimmer. What happened there was as because of its high glassy texture it made my bookmarks stick together. I noticed that the spray doesn't seem to do that. interesting enough is that Modge Podge has a puzzle saver soild glue. Maybe down the road I'll try it to compare modge podges.

[@katelily7619]

Yes, multiple times there has been a piece missing, or an extra piece, with those dollar store puzzles. On average, I experience that with one out of every ten puzzles. Just call the company, they will send you a replacement puzzle. With Cardinal brand, they send a nicer quality puzzle with a similar theme. But... you have to send them proof of purchase (email receipt and photo of whole puzzle with missing piece).

[@SarahKatieLingle]

One time my sister opened a crazy art puzzle... It was sealed and when she began to put it together the ENTIRE puzzle was different than the picture on the front of the box 😂😂

[@flowergrowersmith449]

Very fair review Karen. Enjoyed that! I'd say if your budget was limited, you can get some absolutely fantastic puzzles from opportunity shops (thrift stores?) second hand. I guess there's more of a risk of missing pieces but if you got a quality one at least it would be easier to handle! I got a Ravensberger one and then gave it back so they could sell it again! Never had a piece missing, luckily!

[@KarenPuzzles]

I love that you gave it back after putting it together! It's almost like a puzzle library!

[@karenkavett]

I'm so happy this video is finally up! Sorry it took me a while to get back to these puzzle reviews!

[@clberka]

I know this is an older video, but we are so happy to see your videos when they come out :) i'm catching up on your old videos, and having a complete blast :)

[@kels8901]

I actually found a beautiful 500 bird puzzle in DT and ended up gifting it to my Grandma once I put it together and framed it. She is a huge bird lover. ❤ You can definitely find some hidden gems.

[@eugeneboyd9738]

For a dollar these are the best puzzles ever!😉

[@RubyNeumann]

I like dollar store puzzles... not just for the puzzle, but for the colourful pictures on the puzzle box. I use the pictures to colour up my cards and letters I send to friends and family. It is a creative inexpensive way to make cards. The dollar store puzzles are colourful and even though they are low quality, they teach me some patience in the process. I tape all my puzzles after assembly. I don't want to waste the energy I have invested by collapsing them. And storing completed puzzles requires less space than storing boxes.

[@vincentbanksjr.7509]

Can u elaborate on that do u glue them sounds likeca neat idea I wanna try

[@mickieswall931]

I've had a brand new Bits and Pieces puzzle with a piece missing, and another from them that had an extra piece in the box, outside of the plastic bag that the other pieces were in. Another puzzle from Cra-Z-Art's higher priced collection had two pieces missing, they replaced it with another but it took them more than 2 months. I happen to love the 1,000 piece Cardinal puzzles that come from Dollar Tree! I call them my "personal puzzles" (like Pizza Hut's Personal Pan Pizza) because they are so small and satisfying to put together.

[@TheMrKristens]

I must have 15 or more in the Cardinal brand from the Dollar Store. We love being able to take them on the go when we travel to visit family. If a piece goes missing...no big deal. Plus the size of the box is nice and uniform for packing away in the bookshelf. These go up quickly, but are simply fun for a rainy afternoon with the kiddos. 😊 I do love high quality puzzles too. I just don't love to travel with them.

[@KarenPuzzles]

That's a great point! The small size is travel-friendly!

[@rubicita89]

I don't live in the US. So every time I go for vacations I bring at least a couple of dollar store puzzles (of 500 pc) with me. I usually give them away once I've completed them. Yes, they are cheap, but they give you a good 2- 3 hours of fun for a dollar. I love them!

[@HeatherCashArt]

Love your honest review! I got a puzzle from the dollar store once and it drove me NUTS because it kept breaking apart. I really want to try one of the high quality ones you talk about!

[@loribradley2807]

HI Karen! I put together a mosaic 1000 pc puzzle of a Holstein cow one time! Being from Wisconsin and working as a Vet Tech at that time, I thought it would look nice hanging in the vet office! It was a very hard puzzle, lol, but I finally finished it realizing there was one piece missing!! UGH!! All that time putting it together and then.. really!? I did not want to trash it, and I don't think Amazon replaced puzzles back then, so I ordered the same puzzle and went through the whole thing and found the missing piece and trashed that extra puzzle, being "it" was worthless now! LOL! I still "appreciate" that puzzle when I look at it.. lol Love your channel! Stay safe. Love from Wisconsin! :)

[@J0ELLEx]

I just started a 300 piece dollar store jigsaw puzzle and I’m really enjoying it. I’ve never finished a puzzle over 100 pieces and I feel like I’ve discovered a whole new realm of hobby. I dig it, even if the cardboard flakes and they come with attached pieces.

[@KarenPuzzles]

Moving on up! You'll be tackling 9,000 piece puzzles before you know it!

[@058Martine]

I started with puzzles like this and loved it. I'm only now starting to collect more expensive puzzles.

[@Essendonboy]

I actually have the doors jigsaw puzzle and I’m currently working on it 😂 it’s so cool seeing Karen especially doing the same puzzle I’m doing 🙂

[@myparallaxview]

I have the door one too. It was fun!

[@arioctober]

The Dollar Tree puzzles have vastly improved in quality since this video 😮

[@SSandtheRVCats]

Good to know. I may be going to Dollar Tree tomorrow.

[@arioctober]

@@SSandtheRVCats I most recommend the Puzzlebug Deluxe 350 piece sets. Out of all the puzzles they sell, those are the best quality. Very good "snack" size. I have had more expensive puzzles disappoint me more, they're obviously still a Dollar Tree product so they're not Perfect by any means, but I'm kind of obsessed with them! The Artbox 350 pieces are also quite good. The only reason I don't recommend the 500 piece sets as much is because they are flimsier and only have "standard cut" (2 in 2 out) pieces, but I still buy and do those ones anyway. I hope you find something wonderful!

[@SSandtheRVCats]

@@arioctober thank you so much for the recommendation. I'll check those out! I hope I find some fun puzzles.

[@arioctober]

@@SSandtheRVCats I hope so too!

[@SSandtheRVCats]

@@arioctober thank you :)

[@katherinesierra3399]

I went to the thrift store the other day to look for puzzles. There were several that were unopened, and a few where someone had put a sticker on the box that said all the pieces were there. They were all $1-$3! Great find!

[@KarenPuzzles]

Amazing!

[@ilive4anime.]

I haven't considered going to a thrift store for puzzles

[@annehenry6243]

@@ilive4anime. well, you spin the wheel, as it were, sometimes you can find some that are still factory sealed, most are whatever didn't sell at the garage sale, so, the pieces may be all there...or not....it just adds to the challenge😁 In either case, you can't beat the price! I usually make the rounds through the thrifts a few times over the summer to pick up puzzles to do on winter nights. I've blown through my stash with this covid crap, and haven't been out to look for more yet. All of my Dollar Trees are picked clean too. I've been getting my "puzzle fix" by watching Karen. 😁😁

[@JensUniqueNibblesandMore]

Seeing this during the pandemic - no disposable income right now, so I'm loving that Dollar Tree has such cute puzzles! Sure the pieces (and boxes) are thin, but it is a dollar store so you kind of see that sort of thing

[@blair2378]

How about Target dollar section puzzles? I got one from this section last Christmas, and while the box was cheaply made and the pieces I guess were thin, I've never owned a really nice puzzle and this was my first puzzle! I LOVE it. ❤ And now it's full of happy Christmas memories! Since then I've also been able to get puzzles for $2 at the used bookstore!

[@bubblezdaturtle6222]

GASP I have that bead one!!! I get all my puzzles from the Dollar Tree

[@bubblezdaturtle6222]

And the window one!!!!!

[@KarenPuzzles]

Puzzle twins!

[@myparallaxview]

Haha, I have the door one too! I really liked it!

[@douglasfreer]

These were the type of puzzles my grandma got for me as a kid. I loved putting them together and taking them apart. I don’t do puzzles as much these days, the last one I had done was a Disney Villains puzzle for my mother that I spent a few days on since it was annoying with the colors used, but I’d love to go back to them as a pleasure again.

[@sarahmeisner1146]

I used to buy these by the case when I worked in a call center. They were a life saver. I had to force myself to go slowly because it takes me about an hour to finish a 500 piece.

[@SuperDeut4]

Wow!

[@elizabethcheung6207]

I have done hundreds of Puzzle Bugs. I love them. & they are very affortable.

[@camfan54lisa]

I just did the cupcake one in a 350 last night! They are super thin pieces but I really enjoyed them. Especially the round sushi plate one I did!

[@jessicab9264]

Great video! Some dollar store puzzles are better than others; the Cardinal aren't too bad. All the ones I've done have been nicely cut. If they'd just use a bit thicker cardboard, they'd be tops! I check discount stores like Tuesday Morning a lot for good puzzles, as they often have even the top quality brands like Ravensburger and Ceaco. Speaking of lost puzzle pieces... I've not had one missing, but the last Springbok I did came with an extra duplicate piece! You could even line it up with the piece it was a duplicate of, and see how they shifted the image when it was next cut. Very weird!

[@KarenPuzzles]

Yes! If the cardboard was just a bit thicker, these puzzles would be totally fine!

[@PandaXs1]

oh yeah, cardinal is the brand of the star wars puzzles I mentioned in my comment, guess I'll seek them out specifically next time I'm at the dollar tree.

[@phillyrcj]

I had a Hallmark store puzzle that was missing a lot of pieces, 21 to be exact. So many that I took a picture and sent it to Hallmark. I have purchased puzzles from the dollar store to take to work. I have a lot of Dowdle puzzles from Costco. They are only available during the holiday season. I’m currently obsessed with puzzles featuring the artwork of Dean Russo.

[@randallsmith8255]

Going through college, I used to work at the college during the summers. I stayed in off-campus housing, but a $500 rent bill plus utilities and food made my recreational budget very small. There was a Dollar General four miles down the road where I would ride my bike and buy all of my food for the week, and if I had some extra space in my backpack, I would pick up one of these Puzzlebug puzzles. Not the greatest quality, but I've had so many hours invested in them that they've become endearing to me. It was just so great to come home after a long day of work and spend three or four hours a day just lazily putting them together and relaxing, maybe with some light music or podcast in the background. :)

[@randallsmith8255]

Yeah, five summers in fact... you'd be amazed at how many things you can do with ramen. I got very creative. :) Ramen, with canned Hormel chili. Ramen, with canned cream of mushroom or chicken or asparagus or potato (or whatever I felt like that day). Ramen, with corned beef. Mac and cheese boxes, Rice-a-Roni, even just a bowl of cereal: all fair game. I also worked in the food service at the college, so food was the easiest part to come by. We all got free meals when we worked, so I only needed to cover my days off. I worked a lot of overtime too, so that helped.

[@cassandralyris4918]

They're perfectly good...for kids. Also for background wall art. I used to use these on the wall behind other posters collage like. *They were great for that.* And if they were missing pieces no one would really notice/ it was easy to hide.

[@jeanbaker2087]

Yes, I have worked Dollar Store puzzles. They were okay, but I'm addicted to the Hometown puzzles and those by Charles Wysocki (Heronim and Wysocki are brothers). I also like Jane Wooster Scott. Most of my puzzles come from 2nd hand stores, so missing pieces are a hazard. I usually pay $2 or less for 1000 piece puzzles. I have quite a few, and I keep them and rework them. If I wind up with duplicates, I give them to friends or donate them to a charity.

[@kalliearroyo9527]

I have acquired a few PuzzleBug puzzles and I agree, they don't stay together well. I do like that they are smaller than some of the other puzzles I have. I purchased them from thrift stores, so I may have paid more than I would have at the dollar store, LOL. I'm just getting back into puzzling, so I'm experimenting with a variety of images and brands to see what I really enjoy before investing in more expensive puzzles.

[@SeanLamb-I-Am]

So five years after the video was released, it was finally recommended to me in my feed. It's interesting to see how your video style has improved since then; my first thought with this video was how much louder it felt. As to the brand, I have one Puzzlebug puzzle that I got from my local library's puzzle swap. I haven't tried assembling it yet, but based on another similar style, I'm biased against it already.

[@BooshojoSenshi]

I've often picked up dollar store puzzles for my students, but I honestly have never put one together myself! At least these have really nice images!

[@christymasher]

I currently have some puzzles I bought from the Dollar Tree. I really liked the pictures but haven't put them together yet. Someone have me a puzzle from the Dollar Tree to keep the kids busy during a holiday gathering and it had an extra piece.

[@kathylovingshimer6708]

I done dollar store puzzles and I wish the was more thicker pieces but I don’t like the dust much in any puzzle I do. But I still enjoy putting any puzzle together.

[@allensmith342]

I can appreciate the fact that you like your box to stay neat and clean.

[@thesilverpen]

I have had one or two missing in the around 50+ years of doing puzzles, but not a common problem. Dollar store puzzles are cheap and often cut badly, but they do work when the dollars needs stretched and the yearning for puzzles is strong. I have gotten some that were as good as higher priced puzzles, but it is not often. I have three dollar store puzzles right now I am doing because I liked the picture.

[@victoriaortega1990]

I agree, the quality is everything in terms of enjoying doing the puzzle

[@BobVoorhees]

I had a Gibson Sherlock Holmes puzzle with one missing piece in the silhouette. Only puzzle so far I've done that had one missing piece. Brand new unsealed puzzle.

[@cindygroves5804]

Our public library puts out a jigsaw puzzle for people to do when they stop in. They also take donated puzzles, and when they are done, they put them out on the "free" table for people to take home. I haven't seen any free ones there - The staff says they go pretty quickly!

[@mqtaidmqtaid]

I’ve been buying used puzzles for 3, 5, 6 and 10€. Im so happy for that, I can’t afford a new Ravensburger for example, but my sister gave me the Disney one for Christmas 🎉. My first Ravensburger in my life😊

[@Uniquelyyours1]

When I'm done with a puzzle I tear it down and put the pieces in a gallon zip lock bag. I love your reviews:)

[@LauravanBarneveld63]

I can't afford new good quality puzzles every single time, so a great tip for people who can't afford them at all would be to go hunt for good puzzles in thrift shops. I've found some really cheap (complete) ravensburger puzzles in great shape. I find something different every single time. Sometimes you get 20x worth your money, and sometimes you find something meh. But most were in excellent shape. (I've never had a missing piece from a secondhand puzzle, but now that I've said it, my next one probably will be missing one).

[@LauravanBarneveld63]

Oh and charity flea markets are great too. People tend to donate amazing stuff (and puzzles) to these because they know the money will go to a good cause!

[@KarenPuzzles]

That's another great tip!

[@PandaXs1]

I bought two sealed puzzles at goodwill last week. both were from the late 70's and were pictures of farms lol (guess they weren't the most popular scenic puzzles back then or now). I even got a 1000 piece of an alphonse mucha painting. most of the puzzle was actually complete in the box, but I still have to check and see if it still has all 1000 pieces.

[@saraangel6696]

Those are actually really pretty! The cheapest ones i can find where i live are you usual, boring landscape puzzles, so i have had to invest a little on a couple ones i find fun and interesting :(

[@kittystark6156]

I have done a few dollar store puzzles and have been lucky to not come across any missing pieces. So unsatisfying I can’t even! I have to say they were $1 so they actually exceeded my expectations, and the size and pictures were great.

[@thebirdsthebee9995]

If you have to do dollar store puzzles, I recommend sticking with Cardinal. They seem to be the best option in terms of quality, non-boring images, and unique cuts of peices. They're still not ideal if you're used to Ravensburger, but for $1 they're leaps and bounds ahead of Puzzlebug. Also, I have the exact same door puzzle, and I too got the exact same peice replicated. At least they're consistent?

[@taryllwiebe2896]

I really enjoy puzzles, I get a lot of mine second hand. dollar Store puzzles are one way to know they are clean during the pandemic. I have been doing the colourful Dollar store puzzles and glueing them together to use as art on my walls.

[@Alina-zj9fh]

My son's puzzles are all from cardinal. when he put them together he had trouble with a section of all green so he watched your "how to finish a hard puzzle" video. But the problem was that in cardinal puzzles is that all of the outs on the puzzle pieces are all really alike

[@_magdiii_3608]

OMGGG TODAY MY MOM BOUGHT ME A PUZZLE AND I'M SO EXCITED TO START MAKING IT!!!!!!

[@blunderwomanthemyscira6224]

Coming into this late. I had perused dollar store puzzles and passed on them. But even some more expensive brands have frustrating interlocking. I love Buffalo's Wonder Woman puzzles, but they can be a pain in the tuchus!

[@katieboise]

How you do them so fast amazes me !!!!

[@yikesimachickenmom9127]

Thanks for your video. I don't like to pay a lot of money for my puzzles. I buy all of mine at Goodwill. Usually, they range from $1- $2. Surprisingly, they usually have all the pieces. Even if they are missing a couple of pieces, I don't mind for the price. My favorite puzzles are Jane Wooster Scott cork puzzles. I have 30 of her puzzles..all from goodwill and only 1 or 2 were missing pieces. Thanks again!

[@sidmelucci3675]

As you were commenting on the quality issues, I kept nodding and thinking, "Uh-huh, that would be a logical cost-saving measure." Let's face it: if you're manufacturing a puzzle that will retail for $1.00, you'll need to cut a lot of corners before you can even break even, let alone make any profit. So saving a penny or two on the flimsier box, and another few by using thinner cardboard backing, and a couple more by skipping the get-rid-of-the-dust step makes perfect sense. It's a shame, though, that the quality control (i.e., all the pieces included) also needed to be sacrificed.

[@eileenpizzi351]

I tried a Puzzlebug puzzle once. The pieces kept coming apart so I gave up. Most puzzle boxes in the past came sealed like that and were a pain to open. I even cut my thumb about ten years ago trying to open a puzzle with scissors and had to see a doctor because it wouldn't stop bleeding. So I am glad to see them being packaged differently now.

[@finnickpl84]

I love puzzle and Your channel is the best! 😀

[@denitto8]

Great video. Yeah, I have two puzzeles with 1 missing piece straigh out of the box...and they are high quality brands so I'm a little conflicted. I'm sure we didn't drop them anywhere or something like this.

[@KarenPuzzles]

Weird!

[@denitto8]

@@KarenPuzzles I know. I'm goign to try and figure out how to get the missing piece once I have more time. : )

[@karena2746]

I noticed one thing since I'm at arts and crafts type of person. The Dollar Tree puzzles don't have that much glue that has made them solid pieces. I took one puzzle flipped it over on the back and sprayed them a couple times with Mod Podge. You have to let each layer dry before you apply another one. What Modge Podge does for the cardboard is that it makes it more solid. After I let them dry for overnight I noticed that only maybe a few pieces were still kind of flimsy but I think it's because of their very odd shaped. Just once a day actually flip the pieces over on the front and spray them once but the mod part. It gave it kind of like a glimmer look how the good expensive puzzles have. I'll have to get the name of which Modge Podge I use because you don't want a glossy one. for some reason when I got the regular Mod Podge if you actually glue stuff together with ADD so much gloss in it that it actually made a lot of my craft project stick together. they do have a puzzle saver one that I'll try down the road to see if maybe it will actually work a lot better than the standard modge podge just make sure that your pieces don't stick together or to any surface. as far as the Box goes they actually change the design to the boxes that come in now. you're still flimsy so what I did was I took Dollar Tree clear duct tape and sealed the box with the tape. I guess now you can say it's a little bit more waterproof so that way if I throw it in a bag or take it to travel you don't have to worry about any liquids spilling onto the puzzle box and getting the puzzle wet. I haven't assembled the puzzle yet. I did notice that putting them in the box that they actually now sound like a real puzzle. I work at a retail store won't say which one but we sell a lot of puzzles and you know what a puzzle sounds like when it's in a box. Many of the pieces actually feel like real puzzle piece is now the only difference is the size of the puzzle pieces you can tell that they're very tiny and notice thick is regular puzzles which may or may not be a good thing but time will tell after I get a puzzle assembled.

[@Lisa-ih7fk]

I've finished a good few puzzles and been missing a piece or two but I wouldn't e surprised if I had lost them myself while moving a half finished piece

[@dallascowboyshighlights9632]

I’ve done a few cheap puzzles before and there always seems to be a piece or two missing. I’m totally not surprised that it also happened to you.

[@angelabranum7777]

The one thing I've noticed about these puzzles too is there is only two shapes of pieces. It makes it easier, which for some is a good thing, unless you're looking for a challenge! 😁

[@ingesexton811]

These puzzles are great for painting white then making your own puzzle. It’s a good craft for kids for only 1 buck!

[@crystalgarrard4388]

I know this is an older video. I just got into puzzles in the last couple of months.I've never seen the Puzzle Bug months, but I've bought some of the Cardinal ones and they seem to be fine. Of course, I've never worked a high quality puzzle

[@Shadowstar79]

I never even thought of dollar stores to buy puzzles! now I have to look for them if I go there. (the Dutch equivalent, that is) I am mostly addicted to puzzling iself, so quality isn't the biggest issue to me. Also, the pictures shown in your video, amaze me! those are actually nice colourful pictures! about missing pieces: never had a missing one. except from some second hand ones, but hey, can't blame the company for those. :) I actually had one new puzzle with one extra though..

[@KarenPuzzles]

I hope you find some at your local dollar store!

[@dennislerra7056]

I had a Dollar Tree puzzle that was missing a piece in the middle. Using another of Karen's videos on how to "make" a missing puzzle piece I was able to make one to finish the puzzle. Another puzzle from Dollar Tree had a duplicate, extra, piece ... and one other had an extra piece that did not even go with that particular puzzle. Still, for $1 I continue to buy puzzles from Dollar Tree.

[@PandaXs1]

I got a 300 piece puzzle of hot dogs and chips and I also got a duplicate piece. guess the missing pieces end up in other people's puzzles lol. I also got a few of the star wars ones and out of the three of them didn't have any missing or duplicate pieces, and the pieces come in a bag in a box, so I guess the dollar store brand puzzles of specific franchises have better quality control.

[@bhavinishah7774]

Thanks for reviewing these...I always walk past them at the dollar store but never buy them because I don’t think they will be good quality. Quick tip, take a photo of the full image on the side of the box and open it on a tablet....you can even zoom in to specific sections using this technique!

[@KarenPuzzles]

That's a great idea! I never thought about using a phone or table that way!

[@deena3122]

I was watching this and thought gee that puzzle sounds like the puzzle I am currently doing. And you wouldn’t believe it, it is! At this point I am also missing a edge piece.

[@cmdp180]

They must have given their entire line a major overhaul, because I've picked up a puzzle from Dollar Tree the other day on a whim and I was SO pleasantly surprised at the quality that I went back and got some more. The pieces are thicker (the package states on some of them that they are now thicker), the packaging doesn't have to be cut open, the pieces come in a plastic bag inside of the cardboard box, and the image is displayed in its entirety on the back of the box. There are 350 pieces mostly, as well as some 500 piece puzzles, and the odd 1000 piece one (which I haven't tried). I now bought and completed about a dozen, and I honestly really like them and do recommend them. I've had absolutely no issues, no missing or duplicate pieces, they were cut precisely, no peeling, fit together nicely.... The brands that I found are called Artbox as well as Puzzlebug, as shown in this video.

[@SSandtheRVCats]

Do they cost more than $1.25?

[@cmdp180]

@@SSandtheRVCats Nope, they're part of their regular stock in the toy aisle for $1.25.

[@Ooopo123]

I got this 15$ puzzle and was super hyped for it, finished it within a day just to find not only was it missing a piece, it infact came with an extra piece from a whole different puzzle!

[@patsmith8615]

I like the affordability of the Dollar Tree puzzles. You do get what you pay for. If you're new to jigsaw puzzles this is what You buy to see if you really want to stick with it. $15 is a lot of spin if you're not going to stick with puzzling. I started doing puzzles during this pandemic and I'm really enjoying them. Thank you so much for your advice on jigsaw puzzles. Keep up the good work!

[@Ferny8erny]

I just made some dollor store puzzles and they were pretty nice for the price

[@bugandrews]

When I was young me and my mom did a 5000 piece puzzle over the course of a whole summer I think. We got to the end only to realize it was missing one piece :(

[@GloWe724]

I’ve had pieces missing too. I think it goes with the territory with the cheap $1 puzzles. How do you prevent losing pieces? And what do you do when you find a random piece in your house and have no idea which puzzle it goes to or when a puzzle came missing a piece? Do you return the puzzle to the store? Do you bother to keep it to do again later? Also, puzzle organization. Can you do a vid on these things?

[@GloWe724]

So Karen, what’s your reply?

[@Mary-xb2fz]

Expensive puzzles have the same problems!

[@atricewarner5705]

I’m actually trying a puzzle from Puzzle Bug. It’s a horse. You aren’t wrong about the lack of snap together. It is annoying especially as a visually impaired puzzler.

[@girl.distressed]

I got so dollar store puzzles and one of them is all jacked up. Like little chunks are missing from a bunch of pieces causing them to look like fun pieces but just dont work.

[@jenniferdellagatta8718]

Micheals arts and crafts normally have puzzle sets. The last one i bought had 8 puzzles in it but it was only $20.

[@andrewhanselman9028]

I've had a puzzle missing a piece before. I notified the company, sent the receipt upon request and they sent a replacement puzzle. I've also done one of the puzzlebug ones. Eh. Like you said there is better quality ones to have.

[@KessaWitdaFro]

These would be good for traveling where you don't want to risk damaging or losing pieces from a quality puzzle. Gotta manage your expectations for the price.

[@Mary-xb2fz]

The puzzles from Dollar Tree, etc. (Puzzlebug, etc) by way of thickness and everything that I've read that are complaints, remind me of my mother's and grandparents puzzles from the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's. The new thickness of puzzles of today is a nice surprise. What people complain about puzzles these days are the same problems people complained about in the old days about expensive puzzles (which were not all that expensive back then)

[@henrys3629]

I bought Puzzlebug 500 New Orleans Sternwheeler. Missing 13 pieces and 5 duplicate. I think these are meant to glue on cardboard for framing.

[@katydid4929]

I used to have a whole box full of dollars store puzzles that was gifted to me so I actually bought three of to their puzzles and two of them had came with missing pieces

[@alanmittan4651]

I tried those dollar store puzzles and had the exact same issues with missing and extra pieces. I also did not the overall quality of the box or the cardboard the pieces were made of as yes they fall apart very easily. So I started buying higher quality puzzles like the Ravensburger brand at thrift stores. I would say on average about 80% of the thrift puzzles, all the pieces are there.

[@magicclovers8285]

The puzzle i just did i thought i was missing a piece but i found it, i was so happy lol

[@jacquelenecyrus3416]

Dollar puzzles are my price range but I agree that if the box says "no pieces missing" all should be there. Cardinal is better than most because the pieces come in a bag. I don't trust those that just throw the pieces in the box.

[@neoleomedia1676]

I would recommend LANG puzzles. Great quality! They can get a little pricy sometimes but for the most part they are awesome!

[@annerollogolf9640]

Thanks Karen. Love your channel. Is Ravensburger the best quality in your opinion?

[@treexlxthroughmyeyes]

If you are on budget, go to the second market! I bought most of my puzzles from the Facebook marketplace. $5 for a set of brand name one!

[@3DJapan]

I never thought I would hear the phrase "puzzle dust".

[@ryanfresh8521]

I have strict rules regarding puzzle etiquette. One, no food or drink while doing puzzles. Two, Absolutely no clutter near and/or around the puzzle station as to prevent lost pieces. Three, no cracks in between furniture and space. These rules will ensure that all pieces are accounted for and not lost.