Stave Puzzles and the Puzzle Collector

"Knight at Stavely Castle," Stave Puzzles, 800 pieces, 16 x 6.5 inches, $6,495

I've long been fascinated by "the Rolls Royce of Puzzles" company, Vermont's Stave Puzzles. The company is generally acknowledged as producer of the finest wooden puzzles being made in the world today, and their prices reflect that reputation (and that's the reason I have no firsthand experience with a Stave puzzle and have only admired them from afar).  Believe it or not, that $6,495 price tag on the puzzle up above, is actually the marked down "web price." Otherwise, the puzzle sells for one thousand dollars above that price.

Prices in that range mean, of course, that Stave's customer base is made up of some of the most prominent and famous people from around the world (the late Barbara Bush was one of their biggest fans). But the good news for puzzle builders/collectors is that a Stave puzzle can be had for substantially less than $7,000.

"Mad Tea Party Time," Stave Puzzles, 100 pieces, 6 x 9 inches, starting at $598

Custom puzzles like the one shown just above are priced according to size and number of pieces. The smallest, as noted, sells for $598, but Stave will produce the same puzzle for you (in 4-6 weeks) at various sizes.  The largest version is 1000 pieces, 25 x 20 inches, and sells for $4998 right now (with just about every other imaginable size and price in between). Again, these are the considerably cheaper "web prices."

"Beary Scary," Stave Puzzles, 50 pieces, 4 x 4.5 inches, $195

The cheaper puzzles are all what Stave calls "In Stocks," and a lot of them are in the one-to-three-hundred dollar range, so they will be the best bet for puzzlers who want to have a Stave puzzle in their collection but can't afford to purchase a custom puzzle.

So why are they so expensive? Well, the Stave folks explain it this way: 

"Each puzzle is meticulously hand-cut using delicately fine blades, one piece at a time, by a skilled crafter. No computers, no high-tech. One saw, one cutter—that's it. The cherry back is gently sanded and polished by hand to a soft gleam. Only those puzzles that meet our rigid quality standards actually leave our shop."

Using high-quality materials is costly enough, but this is a labor-intensive business, and that does not come cheaply - nor should it.  The company's comprehensive website will answer any questions you might have and includes FAQs and videos, so if you are an amateur puzzle-historian, like me, you will want to click on the link and learn more about this unique company.

Stave puzzles are not sold in retail outlets; if you want one, you have to go to Stave to get it. Of course, I continue to dream that I will find a Stave puzzle in a thrift shop someday...but if that happens, it could be dangerous because my heart might not be strong enough to take the thrill.