Many out of catalog puzzles are true collector’s items. Puzzle fans search for them and try to buy them in auctions websites. When the puzzle is really rare, the auctions final prices can reach surprising limits, since very motivated sellers keep bidding against each other.
How much is a puzzle worth? It all depends on the buyer’s motivation. Sometimes a person has been looking for a puzzle for a long time, perhaps years. For that reason, she will be willing to do anything possible to get it. After all, there is no way to know when it will appear again.
Some amazing auctions
Cartoon puzzles sell consistently at higher prices than art puzzles. Some of the large Heye puzzles have recently passed the 1,000 USD selling price, which is a surprising benchmark.
In 2016, the 8000, Heye, New York, Factory Sealed was sold on eBay for 3,050 US dollars.
That’s 0.381 USD per piece.
Until July 16, 2017, that was the highest selling price I had seen for a jigsaw puzzle.
Screenshot of a puzzle auction in Japan
The 2000, Central Hobby, Villefranche, Teppei Sasakura, Factory Sealed reached 100,000 Japanese yens, or 893 US dollars.
That’s 0.446 USD per piece.
Teppei Sasakura is truly a very interesting artist and illustrator, and the puzzle is beautiful. So, how much is the puzzle worth?
