I'm rubbish at giving a review a title (Jigsaws)

Member Name: thespurs

Product:	Jigsaws
Date:	27/01/05 (126 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can be fun, Tests your observation skills, The end result is always satisfying

Disadvantages: The picture can be hard to see at times

I was in an ASDA store just after Christmas with my elder brother and we came across a number of Ravensburger 1000 piece puzzles. We had a quick browse through the pictures on the front of the boxes and decided to buy one each. We said that we would challenge each other and see who could finish their puzzle first. I bought the Concorde and Red Arrows puzzle, for just £5.99 which I thought was an absolute bargain. I had anticipated it to be more like £10.00.


The history of Ravensburger as a company, stems from back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s in the German town of Ravensburg. Otto Maier did a number of things before officially creating the company. The trademark of Ravensburger Games was registered in 1900 at the patents office and that saw the start of the company as a big player in the market. The company also produces a wide range of children’s toys including books.


The picture that the puzzle creates is that of the Red Arrows and Concorde fly-pass for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. It looks down on the scene, with the aeroplanes shooting across from one side to the other. The River Thames can be seen and so to The Mall and Buckingham Palace, where people are gathered watching. It is a watercolour painting by Michael Stride, which is really rather good by all accounts. The only criticism that I would have, is that it makes the puzzle much harder to complete. The colours are less sharp than a photo and many pieces look faded and slotting them in is an arduous task.


The puzzle itself, once completed will measure around 70 x 50 cm, which Ravensburger say is around 27 x 20 inches. It is important that you find a large enough surface to complete the puzzle on and to spread pieces out, in order to fit them into the puzzle. The individual pieces themselves are around 2 x 2 cm, which I would say is a pretty standard size for puzzles of this sort. The pieces are between one and two millimetres thick which are about ideal, to make them just strong and sturdy enough.


The quality of the product is, on the whole, pretty good. It seems very well made and the pieces fit together nicely. The only slight criticism that I would offer in terms of the manufacture is that the odd piece, one or two out of the 1000, the design has started to peel of the top and the edge has become flimsy. It is only the odd piece and it’s just down to the fact that they manufacture such a large number. I think that it will hold up for a long and as long as it is stored away nicely, will last for many, many years of use.


The puzzle is ideal for most people over about the age of 10 in my opinion, but younger children could always have a go at it. As I mentioned, the fact that the picture is a painting, makes completing the puzzle that much harder. It will get very frustrating at times and only those with patience and commitment will be able to complete it. If you can grab the puzzle for £6, then I would certainly recommend doing so. The puzzle will take a while to complete and it can be very relaxing if you just spend half an hour or so every day doing it.


Oh and just for the record, I unfortunately lost the race with my brother. That was one blow that I could have done without.

Summary: