8000 piece puzzle, "The Shootings of May 3rd," by Francisco de Goya, Educa Sallient, Spain.
This is, in my opinion as someone who has scoured ebay regularly and methodically for more than 10 years, probably the rarest mass-produced cardboard puzzle with more than 6,000 pieces.
I learned about this puzzle circa 2000 from a web page called Jen's Completed Puzzles, which is still online after all these years (its author being a Google employee, I believe).
jen.alouysius.net/puzzles/jigsaw.html
Jen, a fellow puzzle collector, mentions how she once passed on buying this puzzle, and had never seen it again. I was intrigued, and since 2001 have kept a special eye out for it on ebay auctions, chat sites, etc., both in the U.S. and Europe. Until about two months ago, I had never seen evidence that it existed.
Then one morning as I did my usual search through of ebay, I saw it up for bid on eBay UK with an opening bid of £1.99. I was absolutely dumbfounded and had to have it!
As I don't live in the UK, and the auction was limited to UK residents only, I needed to find someone over there. I tracked down an old friend of mine who I knew had moved to England many years ago. I contacted her with my out-of-left-field request and she was happy to indulge me on it. We won it at the last moment for £82.
While the outer box looks as though a few cats had at it, the pieces are brand new and I believe it to be complete. Three of the four factory bags are unopened, and from the remaining assortment of smaller baggies I counted exactly 2,000 pieces. It looks as though someone gave up after 15 minutes.
The box is dated 1988. No. 7924. I am so excited to add this one to my collection and I think it may be the next one I assemble once I finish the Michelangelo. With all of the dark, muted colors, it will be a great challenge!
{Actual # of pieces: 8,000 (80X100)}
8000 piece puzzle, "The Shootings of May 3rd," by Francisco de Goya, Educa Sallient, Spain.
This is, in my opinion as someone who has scoured ebay regularly and methodically for more than 10 years, probably the rarest mass-produced cardboard puzzle with more than 6,000 pieces.
I learned about this puzzle circa 2000 from a web page called Jen's Completed Puzzles, which is still online after all these years (its author being a Google employee, I believe).
jen.alouysius.net/puzzles/jigsaw.html
Jen, a fellow puzzle collector, mentions how she once passed on buying this puzzle, and had never seen it again. I was intrigued, and since 2001 have kept a special eye out for it on ebay auctions, chat sites, etc., both in the U.S. and Europe. Until about two months ago, I had never seen evidence that it existed.
Then one morning as I did my usual search through of ebay, I saw it up for bid on eBay UK with an opening bid of £1.99. I was absolutely dumbfounded and had to have it!
As I don't live in the UK, and the auction was limited to UK residents only, I needed to find someone over there. I tracked down an old friend of mine who I knew had moved to England many years ago. I contacted her with my out-of-left-field request and she was happy to indulge me on it. We won it at the last moment for £82.
While the outer box looks as though a few cats had at it, the pieces are brand new and I believe it to be complete. Three of the four factory bags are unopened, and from the remaining assortment of smaller baggies I counted exactly 2,000 pieces. It looks as though someone gave up after 15 minutes.
The box is dated 1988. No. 7924. I am so excited to add this one to my collection and I think it may be the next one I assemble once I finish the Michelangelo. With all of the dark, muted colors, it will be a great challenge!
{Actual # of pieces: 8,000 (80X100)}