From the Archives: The Bookstore (Pintoo, 1000pc)

Image via Amazon

Here's another little gem from my archive. I stumbled upon this one while visiting Taipei a couple years ago. Malls in Taipei are jam-packed with a bunch of tiny boutiques selling the same inventory of clothing, shoes, and accessories (at least that's how it feels after a day of shopping).

So when I passed by a shop with a big orange jigsaw piece in the window, I was not only relieved to see a store that wasn't selling fabric but in fact giddy to see one devoted to jigsaw puzzles because they don't seem to exist in the NYC area.

Anyway, the name of the brand is Pintoo, and all of their products are made of plastic. In addition to traditional flat puzzles, they also carry a lot of jigsaw puzzle "tchotchkes", like vases and globes and keychains. There was a jumbo version of this mouse puzzle (maybe 5000 pieces?) hanging on the wall that was unfortunately just a sample. Minor disappointment aside, I left the store quite happily with the 1000pc version.

If you're looking for new wall decoration, Pintoo puzzles are a great option because the nature of the material makes the finished puzzle very durable. But if you aren't, you'll want to stick with the cardboard goods. The pieces have a tight fit that requires a lot of effort to undo and probably isn't worth the hassle.

Purchased from the Pintoo retail store in Taipei. Can't find this specific puzzle on the Pintoo site, but you may be able to find it on Amazon.