With some exceptions, most old puzzles (first half of the 20th century) have not witnessed the same rise in value as many other collectibles and are still priced substantially below what a comparable puzzle cut today would cost. Damaged puzzles, and especially puzzles with missing pieces, are heavily discounted since most serious collectors would prefer to avoid them.
If you found a puzzle in grandma’s attic, please don’t ask me to evaluate it. To judge a puzzle’s value, go onto eBay and search for sold items (under the Advanced search menu) from the same maker and of a similar size.
I don’t buy cardboard puzzles at all, and I don’t know much about those manufacturers. I am interested in wooden puzzles, mostly those made by Par, Pastime, Arteno, Falls, U-Nit and Picture Puzzle Exchange. With advancing age, I am limiting my purchases more but still buy puzzles which fit into special areas of my collection.
If you have quality old wood puzzles which you are interested in selling to me, in particular if they are from the manufacturers mentioned above, send me pictures of the outside of the box, showing the box condition but also the label with the maker, title, and number of pieces. Also take a a picture of the pieces in the box. If there are notes that say that it has missing or damaged pieces, that of course is important too. If there is a photograph of the assembled puzzle in the box, take a picture of that as well.
For each puzzle I acquire, I assemble it, make replacement pieces and other repairs so that it “looks good”, and catalogue it in my extensive database. At that point, I decide whether to keep them in my permanent collection, ready to exhibit or display in my occasional talks on jigsaw puzzles, or sell/trade to other puzzle lovers who will truly appreciate them in their collections.
I hope to hear from you!
Bob Armstrong