not martha

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

good old fashioned fun

So, where do I go to get a puzzle these days? It was an informal tradition in my parents house to have a puzzle set up during the holidays to give you something to do when everybody has run out of things to talk about but nobody will be the first to turn on the television. We usually got a cheesy murder mystery puzzle which you have to construct to learn who dunnit. Scott and I decided to get one for ourselves this year since it's not looking like we'll have the internet to distract us for Christmas. I went to two malls to find a games store (I remember these very clearly, they had board games, puzzles and a bit of role playing supplies) but they don't seem to exist any more. I ended up buying a not too cloying puzzle at Toys R Us (a place I never want to set foot in again) and a Lost mystery puzzle at Target (which I'm pretty sure I'm going to return). Anybody? Know of a store with a good selection of puzzles in or around Seattle?

categories: mumbling

34 Comments »

  1. I don't know about Seattle, but Hobby Lobby and Hallmark Crown stores have always had a decent variety of puzzles every time I've been in there.

    Comment by Giselle — December 20, 2006 @ 4:10 pm

  2. there are a list of games stores in seattle on http://www.seattlespiel.com/stores.html -- surely some of these would have puzzles too? also, you could check with matthew of http://www.defectiveyeti.com to see if he has any other suggestions, he is a board game fanatic. or so it seems! (i found the link to seattle spiel on his site.)

    Comment by greta — December 20, 2006 @ 4:31 pm

  3. Magic Mouse Toys in Pioneer Square has a nice selection of puzzles.

    Comment by mam — December 20, 2006 @ 4:33 pm

  4. I think Gary's Games on Greenwood at about 85th has puzzles...

    Comment by Jeanne — December 20, 2006 @ 5:05 pm

  5. i was at the fred meyer off of 35th in fremont/ballard just about an hour ago looking for a rock'em, sock'em (which i didn't find). in my searching, they had an impressive isle of puzzles. happy hunting!

    Comment by megs — December 20, 2006 @ 5:35 pm

  6. i love puzzles! my family has the same tradition and we always stay up until the wee hours of the night putting them together and watching old movies. sigh. what fun.

    try Math 'n' Stuff on 91st and Roosevelt -- it's a kids' store, primarily, but also has a ton of games and some puzzles. hubby and i recently purchased a puzzle for our nieces there, hoping to introduce them to my family's tradition. also, Gary's Games & Hobbies is a great place (on Greenwood Ave just north of 85th). good luck!

    Comment by heidi — December 20, 2006 @ 5:37 pm

  7. Hallmark card stores often carry Springbok puzzles, which are pretty good quality puzzles, with a variety of designs.

    Comment by Liz — December 20, 2006 @ 5:44 pm

  8. My local Barnes & Noble carries puzzles-- maybe you have one near you?

    Comment by Kerri — December 20, 2006 @ 6:04 pm

  9. Here are two stores listed in an online article from 1999. I have no idea if they are still there.

    Magic Mouse Toys in Pioneer Square (603 First, 682-5007)(another phone # 206-682-8097 )

    Games and Gizmos (200 Broadway E, 322-6585; 211 Bellevue Wy NE, Bellevue, 425-462-1569 ; 8912 161st NE, Redmond, 425-895-9588) offers a good selection of both jigsaw puzzles and 3-D puzzles.

    Here is the article: http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/9948/features-guilfoyle.php

    Happy puzzling.

    Comment by Rhonda — December 20, 2006 @ 6:21 pm

  10. Sounds like the kind of thing that Magic Mouse Toys in Pioneer Square would have a good selection of.

    Are they even still around? Like the rest of pre-real-estate-boom Pioneer Square, I'll bet they've been forced out...

    Comment by marielle — December 20, 2006 @ 6:24 pm

  11. I was just in Magic Mouse Toys two days ago... they're still around. Two stories of fun! :) I went in search of "Rum & Pirates" a board game... they didn't have it, so the link to other game stores is really helpful! Thanks.

    Comment by Allison — December 20, 2006 @ 6:44 pm

  12. Magic Mouse is definitely still there.. we go there a lot :) Top Ten Toys on N 85th also has some puzzles but I've never taken a good look at them.

    Comment by Carrie — December 20, 2006 @ 7:00 pm

  13. Can't tell you what's in Seattle, but the places where I find the best puzzles here (Vancouver) are in independent toy stores, museum gift shops, and art galleries. Our Science World has an excellent galaxy 1000-pc one that I'm slavering over, and the art gallery has all manner of beautiful paintings in puzzle form. Good luck!

    Comment by stacey — December 20, 2006 @ 7:48 pm

  14. Def. check Magic Mouse in Pioneer Square. They're totally still there and it's a great little to store. I actually just bought two puzzles there as gifts this year because Andre is all into puzzles right now. They have a room off to the side downstairs that is alllll puzzles.
    Hope you find what you're looking for!
    -K

    Comment by Karissa — December 20, 2006 @ 8:04 pm

  15. There's Top Ten Toys in Greenwood, too. And some game store nearby. I bought a puzzle recently at a store in Alderwood mall.

    Comment by Patti — December 20, 2006 @ 8:19 pm

  16. There's a game store on Phinney, near Mae's, too.

    Comment by Patti — December 20, 2006 @ 8:19 pm

  17. Uncles Games in Crossroads Mall in Bellevue has a great selection of puzzles. They even have a 25,000 piece puzzle, if you are so inclined (I'm not, but if you are, please take pictures when you are done). There may be other Uncles Games in the area, I'm not sure. And if you know someone into chess, it is the place to check out. Good luck!

    Comment by Alyson — December 20, 2006 @ 9:27 pm

  18. Ooh, check this out. Uncle's is online....live stores in Bellevue and Redmond. But this is just their online puzzle selection............

    http://www.unclesgames.com/index.php/cPath/4

    Comment by Alyson — December 20, 2006 @ 9:29 pm

  19. I've got a puzzle-loving sister, so I've learned that museum gift shops often carry good puzzles.

    Comment by Ashley — December 20, 2006 @ 9:50 pm

  20. Top Ten Toys on 85th or Berserk Games on Greenwood at 72nd (just south of Ken's).

    Comment by Jessica — December 20, 2006 @ 10:27 pm

  21. White Horse Toys is a classic, bursting-at-the-seams toy store filled with everything toy related, including puzzles of course. The only unfortunate thing is that they're in Issaquah in the Gilman Village.

    Comment by Amy — December 20, 2006 @ 11:14 pm

  22. Uncle's Games is awesome. It is from Spokane but has a couple stores in Seattle and they have a game night on Friday nights and possibly other night.

    They also have a huge selection of puzzles. Any kind you want!

    16507 NE 74th St, Redmond, 98052

    and

    15600 NE 8th St, Bellevue, 98008

    I am totally a game lover. I even go up to Seattle for Conquest NW which is President's weekend.

    Comment by chrispy — December 20, 2006 @ 11:20 pm

  23. So strange. I was just out looking for puzzles yesterday and found some at Barnes and Noble. It was a mixed selection ranging from Andy Warhol/Elvis to Thomas Kinkade.

    I ordered a few Puzzle Rolls from Lee Valley for gifts this year. I hope that they do what they actually work!

    Comment by jjzach — December 21, 2006 @ 5:49 am

  24. o.0 you went in a toy store a week before Christmas? and lived to tell us about it? you are indeed a great woman.

    Comment by suavisvinum — December 21, 2006 @ 7:34 am

  25. ditto on the people who said magic mouse toys in pioneer square. it's toy/games central. i'm almost amazed you haven't been there yet....

    Comment by Barrie — December 21, 2006 @ 8:02 am

  26. Greenwood is the place to be! Berserk Games at about 70th or 75th; Gary's Games at 85th, and Top Ten Toys at 87th-ish, just past the Fred Meyer.

    Plus, parking is waaaay easier in Greenwood than down by Magic Mouse.

    Good luck!

    Comment by Sarah — December 21, 2006 @ 9:46 am

  27. Math 'n' Stuff on 91st and Roosevelt

    Comment by Elizabeth — December 21, 2006 @ 10:11 am

  28. Magic Mouse is the BEST! Check it out!

    Comment by trtlgrl — December 21, 2006 @ 12:04 pm

  29. I know there is a puzzle/game store on 1st ave, between pike & pine and right next to Metsker Maps. Of course I can't recall name, but I walk by it all the time.

    Comment by April — December 21, 2006 @ 12:56 pm

  30. I got a great art (i.e.: impressionist) puzzel at the card store next to Ladro on upper Queen Anne (across from Hilltop yarn, so it's a great trip to take anyway). They had what I thought an unusual amount of adult puzzels that are $20 and under. I know they had the mystery ones- but I didn't know they would be fun.

    Comment by cheriwan — December 21, 2006 @ 1:48 pm

  31. http://www.bitsandpieces.com

    Comment by Amy Lu — December 21, 2006 @ 3:55 pm

  32. Excellent, thanks everybody. I so wish I had the internet to consult initially, it would have saved me a trip to Northgate in the pre-Christmas week (yikes!).

    Comment by megan — December 21, 2006 @ 6:49 pm

  33. uwajimaya has some gorgeous puzzles of japanese images (cherry blossom trees, etc.) and some GREAT hello kitty puzzles -- some very complex.

    Comment by karla — December 22, 2006 @ 2:39 pm

  34. i always see TONS of puzzles in decent shape at thrift shops...many of them still wrapped. (it'd suck to find yr missing a piece.)

    Comment by ed — December 27, 2006 @ 12:12 pm



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