While most Americans are stuck at home due to the pandemic, many have turned to jigsaw puzzles to pass the time. So much so, that people have been buying them at unprecedented rates.
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and we’ve never seen anything like it," Jason Schneider, the senior vice president at Ceaco Puzzles, told Emily Rooney on WGBH News’ Greater Boston Thursday. "Christmas is always a really big selling season for us, but it’s got nothing on the past month,”
He said puzzles can help provide comfort during these uncertain times.
“It’s a great way to engage your brain. You have this massive thing you’ve got to put back together,” he said. “A lot of people find it very zen, almost very calming, to be on the hunt and peck for the right piece that fits the right space.”
But because of the restrictions against non-essential businesses, Schneider said Ceaco, one of the country’s largest puzzle producers, has had trouble keeping up with demand.
“It’s challenging because we are a Massachusetts-based company. We are produced here in Massachusetts and because of the governor’s orders, we can’t produce any more puzzles…. And we talked about maybe lobbying the governor,” he said. “We’re hopeful that in the next few weeks or so, as things hopefully ease up, that we can get back online and get puzzles out.”
When asked for tips and tricks on solving Ceaco jigsaw puzzles, Schneider said start with edges.
“You look for shapes and you look for patterns and colors. Sorting by colors is always good…Then start looking for shapes and what interlocks. That’s really what’s nice about our puzzles is that they’ve got these unique curves and twists to it and you can find the places where they snap in together,” he said.
