Alignment issues
Noticed these misalignment issues when trying to assemble the line of pier and waterline (I thought it was me who was the problem!). These puzzles all have 3 vertical seams: between pieces 13/14, 25/26, and 37/38. Here you can see the middle and right-hand seam, and how the pieces are off alignment (but only in some areas, it looks like!). I have come to expect small alignment issues in puzzles, but it's pretty bad to see this in just a 2000 piece.
This hasn't completely ruined my puzzle experience, but I can already hear the complaints from fellow collectors. Making high-art puzzles is going to attract a picky audience. Probably a big reason why former art puzzle manufacturer Ricordi folded had to do with complaints from customers over quality issues. I remember reading many negative comments about Ricordi on Amazon, the German puzzle forum and from other sources, and when I finally got around to building some Ricordis last year I was surprised to find the quality decent if not top-notch. Grafika will need to do a better job than this to keep its customers - though on the other hand, art puzzle collectors are so desperate for new images that they may live with these issues. Wouldn't it be nice if we could have the best of both worlds: well-chosen art designs combined with exquisite manufacturing.
Alignment issues
Noticed these misalignment issues when trying to assemble the line of pier and waterline (I thought it was me who was the problem!). These puzzles all have 3 vertical seams: between pieces 13/14, 25/26, and 37/38. Here you can see the middle and right-hand seam, and how the pieces are off alignment (but only in some areas, it looks like!). I have come to expect small alignment issues in puzzles, but it's pretty bad to see this in just a 2000 piece.
This hasn't completely ruined my puzzle experience, but I can already hear the complaints from fellow collectors. Making high-art puzzles is going to attract a picky audience. Probably a big reason why former art puzzle manufacturer Ricordi folded had to do with complaints from customers over quality issues. I remember reading many negative comments about Ricordi on Amazon, the German puzzle forum and from other sources, and when I finally got around to building some Ricordis last year I was surprised to find the quality decent if not top-notch. Grafika will need to do a better job than this to keep its customers - though on the other hand, art puzzle collectors are so desperate for new images that they may live with these issues. Wouldn't it be nice if we could have the best of both worlds: well-chosen art designs combined with exquisite manufacturing.