Used jigsaw puzzles: where to buy, sell, trade and donate second-hand puzzles

Have you got to the point where your puzzles are taking over all your spare storage space? Or maybe you’re looking for some new puzzles, but are on a tight budget? Either way, our guide will show you where to buy second-hand puzzles – and how to sell on your own much-loved puzzles!

It’s true that Cloudberries puzzles aren’t often found in second-hand shops, but we’d like to help fellow puzzle nerds with their bargain hunting all the same!

So, whether you want to donate some of your used jigsaw puzzles to charity, sell them to make enough money to buy yourself some new ones, or simply trade them with like-minded puzzle fans, we’ll guide you through all you need to know about buying, selling, swapping and donating used jigsaw puzzles.

Buying used puzzles

First of all you should consider whether it’s worth the extra hassle of buying used jigsaw puzzles, rather than a brand new one. Here are the pros and cons of buying used jigsaw puzzles for adults:

The advantages of buying used puzzles

The main advantage, of course, is that second-hand puzzles are usually cheaper than buying a brand new puzzle. Also, if you buy second-hand you can sometimes get pre-loved puzzles that are no longer being made, limited editions or out-of-stock puzzles.

Not only that but re-using a jigsaw is better for the environment – the more people who do the puzzle, the lower its carbon footprint. If you want to reduce your footprint even more, choose brands that source their puzzles responsibly in the first place (like Cloudberries!)

The disadvantages of buying used puzzles

While buying second-hand might seem like a win-win solution, there are some cons and pitfalls to look out for. First and foremost is the fact that there’s no guarantee of what you’ll get. 

If you find a real bargain puzzle that looks too good to be true, it probably is! For example, there’s nothing more frustrating that getting to the end of a puzzle and finding some of the pieces missing. Compare this with buying a new puzzle – if you lose a piece from a new Cloudberries puzzle, for example, we’ll send you a replacement for free!

Also, the headline price of a used puzzle may look very appealing, but you should always check the small print. Once you’ve factored in delivery costs, the price may not be much cheaper than buying a new one. Some puzzle companies offer free shipping when you buy direct from their websites.

And always check where your puzzle is coming from – shipping costs and import taxes can be added if your puzzle is being sent from abroad, making a used puzzle potentially even more expensive than buying a brand new one.

Where to buy used jigsaw puzzles

Once you’ve decided you want to look at pre-loved puzzles, the big question is where to buy good used jigsaw puzzles. Well, why not check out some options the options below?

• The jigsaw puzzles sections of websites such as Preloved. This is good as they are genuine second-hand puzzles and you can further filter to look for categories such as vintage puzzles, puzzles for kids and 1000-piece puzzles. You can also sometimes pick up a job lot of several puzzles at a bargain price!
• Depop has some great used jigsaw puzzles for sale, from classic brands like Ravensburger, of course – but you might even find the odd preloved Cloudberries puzzle there, if you’re lucky! 
• The ‘used’ section on Amazon listings. Just search for “amazon used jigsaw puzzle” and this will bring up plenty of choice, but you need to make sure you filter out those sellers who are selling brand new puzzles if you want a much cheaper preloved puzzle.
• Ebay There’s a great range of puzzles for sale on Ebay and you can refine your search by entering phrases such as “used large size jigsaw puzzles” or any brand name puzzles.
• Facebook Marketplace. You never know, someone on your street might be looking to get rid of some good puzzles!

Selling used puzzles

OK, so your puzzle cupboard is overflowing and you’re wondering what to do with all your jigsaw puzzles when they’re finished. Well, the obvious thing is to sort everything and list your used jigsaw puzzles for sale. You may wonder who wants used jigsaw puzzles, but you could well be surprised by how many you can sell and how much you can get, especially if they are rare or discontinued designs. Two discontinued Cloudberries designs have been seen changing hands for hundreds of dollars each!

• Ebay. The obvious first port of call if you want to sell used jigsaw puzzles is Ebay. There’s a huge variety of puzzles for sale here, and if you have good condition premium brands such as Cloudberries puzzles, you can get a decent price for them.
• Gumtree is also a good bet. It’s free to post an ad, and you can specify collections only in a local area if you don’t want bother with the expense and hassle of posting your puzzles.
• Shpock. Another site that is free to post on and has plenty of buyers and sellers across the UK.
• If you have any old or vintage puzzles, it’s worth trying a specialist site, such as Vintage Cash Cow, where all sorts of antique puzzles can be sold.
• Hold a garage sale. Garage sales, rummage sales and car boot sales are all good places to sell your old puzzles. And you can always use it as an opportunity to offload some of your other surplus belongings too!

Trading used puzzles

The simplest way to trade used puzzles is to swap them with a friend. But if you’re friends aren’t into puzzling, or simply don’t do as many as you do, you can always try online puzzle swaps. Here are some ideas for trading used puzzles. 

• Swap with a puzzle pen pal. If you’ve got a pen pal who’s into puzzling you can swap your used jigsaws with them. And if not, why not find a puzzling pen pal? Check out our Find a Puzzle Pen Pal page for ideas on how link up with fellow puzzle nerds around the globe.
• Join a membership club, such as Jigsaw Puzzle Swap Exchange. Here, you pay $US60 for one year’s membership or $78 for two years’ membership and you can swap as many puzzles as you like across the US. They also arrange regular events so you can meet up with fellow puzzle geeks.
• Check out Facebook groups, such as Jigsaw Puzzle Swap. Simply post a pic of the puzzle you want to swap, and anyone who is interested can post an image of their puzzles to swap. If you agree, you pay the postage of your puzzle, and they pay the postage for theirs – simple!
• Try your local library. Some libraries have puzzle swaps, and some loan out jigsaws for free or for a small fee. You’ll have to join your local library to borrow a jigsaw from it, but joining is free in most places.

Donating used puzzles

And if you can’t be bothered with the hassle of selling your much-loved puzzles, but just want them to go to a good home, you can always give them away. There are tons of ways to make sure your pre-loved jigsaws don’t go to waste, so check out our suggestions for where to take used jigsaw puzzles.

• Donate them to charity. You may have a charity that’s close to your own heart, or simply a nearby charity shop that you can donate to. Either way, most charities are always grateful for donations – just make sure they’re in reasonable condition and all the pieces are there!
• Old people’s homes or nurseries. Most old people’s homes are happy to accept pre-loved  jigsaws that the residents can do. And if you’ve got kids’ jigsaws, try your local nursery, primary school or after-school club.
• Re-purpose them. If you’ve got some missing pieces, you can’t donate used jigsaws, but you can re-purpose them. If you’re feeling creative, you can make old jigsaw pieces into Christmas wreaths and baubles, ornaments, photo frames, or even a table top – check out some crafty ideas here.

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