Hand-cut wooden jigsaws can fetch £1,000 – but only if you can find ALL the pieces!

THE jigsaw puzzle was enjoyed by the wealthiest people in society a century ago when wood, rather than cheap cardboard, was used.

It started as an educational tool. Find a jigsaw of the map of England with cut-out counties, made by John Spilsbury in the 1760s, and it could be worth £2,000.

Early 20th Century jigsaws hand cut from wood cost more than 40 shillings – three times the average worker’s weekly wage – so only the richest could indulge in this luxury pastime.

It was not until after the Second World War when cardboard cuts were introduced that everyone could enjoy putting a jigsaw together. The Queen is a paid-up

JIGSAW PUZZLES

member of The British Jigsaw Puzzle Library and likes to indulge in a puzzle or two during her winter stay at Sandringham in Norfolk. The library was founded in 1933 when most people could not afford to buy a puzzle.

David Shearer, chief librarian at The British Jigsaw Puzzle Library, says: ‘Old wooden puzzles were not just designed to keep people entertained on rainy days – they were often seriously challenging.

‘There would be no photo or drawing on the box and the pieces were cut by a true craftsman who would weave their own artistry into the chosen picture.’ Puzzles

with as few as 650 pieces could take weeks to complete, he says. For collectors, among the most sought-after games are hand-cut wooden jigsaws made by Par Puzzles. Its earliest 1930s games can cost £1,000.

Another collectable name is Raphael Tuck & Sons. In the early 20th Century, it made so-called Zag-Zaw picture puzzles that now fetch at least £50. Parker Brothers, a famous games manufacturer, was selling high quality wooden jigsaw puzzles from the late 19th Century. Its most sought-after puzzles, sold under the Parker Pastimes name, can now sell for £200.

Shearer adds: ‘Condition is key and to be of investment quality you need an original box. Values plummet even if just one jigsaw piece is missing.’

Annual membership of The British Jigsaw Puzzle Library costs £150. For further information on historic jigsaws visit the website The Jigasaurus.