Mr Puzzle 20th Anniversary Puzzles

[TheJuggler]

But I'm saving for a certain event in August...so I'm attempting to be very restrained for the months running up to then.

No idea what you're talking about

[03SVTCobra]

I'm a dope and waited like 30 minutes too long to preorder and missed it.

[Rdroege]

I'm a dope and waited like 30 minutes too long to preorder and missed it.

Try the waiting list, I know last year they had a few people cancel their preorders.

[jerryloo71]

I missed Mr Puzzle's announcement email. I just placed my name on the wait-list. Apparently there are people wait-listed already.

[Bidle]

I missed Mr Puzzle's announcement email. I just placed my name on the wait-list. Apparently there are people wait-listed already.

That's a real pity!!


Am I the only one who is surprised about how fast this puzzle was sold-out with even a waiting-list.

[TheJuggler]

Am I the only one who is surprised about how fast this puzzle was sold-out with even a waiting-list.

Having written this, it's probably a post better suited to my blog, however ... (skip to the end for the short version)

I'm not at all surprised. If you think back to Mr Puzzle creating the Opening Bat, which took a long time to sell (and then once a few bloggers had reviews sold very quickly), plus the creation of Houdini's Torture Cell which drew from one of the locks in the bat, all of that increased the knowledge of the work Mr Puzzle was creating, and the quality of what he was doing.

Don't get me wrong, he's been making great puzzles, and craftsman/special editions for a long number of years, but there's been a great increase in the desire for sequential discovery puzzles in recent years. We have the likes of Strijbos and Foshee to thank for that. Creating a sequential discovery for his anniversary puzzle, on the back of success in IPP, as well as much greater visibility from forums like this one, all means that puzzlers were going to be waiting for this sort of announcement.

It's great from my perspective as a puzzler, designer and craftsman to see the puzzle community growing, especially in the UK, and to see that people are willing to pay (what could be considered as) a lot of money for a quality puzzle. Knowing the work and time that goes into creating something like this, not to mention the years of learning how to work with wood, create repeatable pieces, and balance the difficulty, design and desirability of a puzzle, I think it's reassuring, and is probably close to the real cost of creating such a puzzle, and allow the craftsman to live on the proceeds.

TLDR: No, I'm not surprised.

[03SVTCobra]

I was surprised but mostly because of the price. I figured they would go fast but not that fast. After seeing some of his stuff and learning more about this one I can see them flying off the shelves. It seems like its going to be an epic puzzle.

[Bidle]

I agree, luckily I own some of his puzzles, but this price is imho very high. Not saying it isn't worth it, just that it is a lot of money for a puzzle. Just because of the high price I was a surprised it still went so fast.

On the other hand the Telephone box wasn't sold-out for a while. I have to say that it is a wonderful puzzle as well. The phone-boot isn't easy to open and again with some different moves where you have to discover a set of tools. Than after it you have the different wooden blocks to do the packing puzzle.

[astr0creep]

My Katie Koala is finished and being shipped tomorrow! I cant wait, so excited!

[03SVTCobra]

My Katie Koala is finished and being shipped tomorrow! I cant wait, so excited!

Lucky!