My parents starting purchasing Wysocki prints in the 80's. I love the colors and scenes and purchased some of my own. My husband, children & I moved to Fresno CA in 2005 and the Wysocki puzzle bug bit me! I loved going to Target and finding a new puzzle. We had large block yard sales and I was able to pick some up there. I would send my sister-in-law the ones I had finished. I now finish a new puzzle every other day-I'm obsessed!! I only do Wysocki 1000 piece and I don't like the Buffalo Games puzzle at all. I really only find Hasbro/MB on eBay. I have a pretty large collection now and find myself purchasing some of those that I had given any (UGH!). I LOVE Charles Wysocki and his puzzles. Had the opportunity to meet him before he left us. I will treasure that memory and often think of him with joy as I do one of his puzzles. So happy to have this forum. I often wish that I had people close by so we could "borrow" each others puzzles! A puzzle library! Check one out and give it back! A person can dream!!
~ Karen
In the 70s my dad would receive a Charles Wysocki calendar every year from his employer. He wasn't one to throw things away, so he kept them and eventually hung them up in a basement room, next to the ceiling, as a "decoration!" (He also wasn't much for decorating!??). He passed away last year.
In the 90s my sister, her daughter, and my mom would visit each summer for a couple of days. Mom had a couple of Charles Wysocki puzzles so she would bring one when they came and we would complete it before they headed home. It was kind of a tradition each year. When mom passed away 11 years ago we put one together when everyone was back for her memorial service. My dad framed it. ??
Several years ago I was trying to lose weight and thought if I had something to do with my hands then maybe I wouldn't be so tempted to munch! I only had 4-5 puzzles, so started buying new ones as they came on the shelves at Walmart or Target. But ONLY Charles Wysocki 1000 piece ones! ??
Needless to say, I was hooked! But the stores only had a finite amount each year, so I searched for a way to get ones I didn't already have. My daughter-in-law got me started with an eBay account, and that was all it took! I haven't counted them recently but I estimate I have 150-160 now. I also collect Ernies (from Sesame Street), and have an entire room dedicated to Ernies, so I have a puzzle set up at a desk in the Ernie room, and happily work on them almost every day!
I enjoy the puzzles with Americana backgrounds and the ones with buildings the best. I like the "old" ones with the big boxes better than the newer ones with smaller pieces. (I don't care for the newest ones by buffalo games; it is hard to tell if the pieces fit or not.) I have even been lucky to find several complete ones at Goodwill!
Doing these puzzles is relaxing. ?? It takes me back to a quieter time, when my mom and dad were still alive. ??
~ Nancy
After being diagnosed with schizophrenia at a behavioral health center I started putting together Charles Wysocki puzzles. I had no idea there were so many. I remember building some of the MB versions when I was little. I find it somewhat annoying that they changed the format of the puzzles from square to rectangular since I'm currently arranging them on my living room wall in a huge mural. So far I have 31 of them including some of the cat puzzles. I hope Buffalo reissues all the old prints in the rectangular format. In the meantime I'm still finishing up the Buffalo versions. I love the way the art works with the puzzle cut, the diversity of the colors and contrasting hues. I kind of wish Buffalo would use more than one puzzle cutting die though as they are all identical. Charles Wysocki was a magical artist of Americana and his legacy lives on in all the amazing puzzles he made possible.
~ Noah Benzing