Puzzles are fun for people of all ages making them a perfect family activity. Not only are they fun, but they also help improve attention and visuospatial skills. Plus, they are a great stress-reliever and an easy way to stay busy on rainy days when you can’t get outside. As fun as they are, if you buy puzzles regularly, you know they can cost a lot to buy new. So check out these places to get 1000-piece puzzles under $10!
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Background
There’s a stereotype that puzzles are for senior citizens. It’s not true! Plenty of people of all ages enjoy puzzles to both relax and engage the mind. As a child, I’d take out my puzzle of the United States on weekend mornings and have so much fun putting it together while watching cartoons.
I progressed to harder puzzles over the years, eventually landing on my favorite being 1,000-piece puzzles. They’re challenging enough that they keep me busy for hours but not so difficult that I want to give up.
As a general rule of thumb, a 1,000-piece puzzle takes at least 10 hours to complete. It can take much longer for a complex puzzle. But 10 hours is a great way to pass a few afternoons or a couple of evenings over a week. The problem is getting new puzzles regularly to feed this hobby!
Where is the best place to buy 1,000 piece puzzles for under $10?
The best places to buy 1,000-piece puzzles are thrift stores, garage sales, seasonal stores, retail stores, Amazon, online puzzle stores, and online second-hand marketplaces. You’ll find a wide variety of puzzle sizes, pictures, and prices that fit your interests and budget.
Where to buy puzzles
1) Thrift stores
My favorite place to shop is thrift stores. You can get so many new and second-hand items for a small fraction of their retail prices. I’ve found some great puzzles at thrift stores, and I have never had to spend more than $10 on them.
Thrift stores run through items frequently because they get so many donations and sales. So you’re likely to find lots of different puzzles if you go to the thrift store regularly.
The puzzles are usually in good condition, but there’s no guarantee that they will have all their pieces. Your best bet is to buy ones that are still sealed, or accept that you may have an incomplete puzzle.
2) Garage sales
You might find puzzles for just a few dollars at garage sales. The great thing about garage sales is that people want to get rid of their goods. They’re open to negotiating prices, so you can get an even better deal if you buy multiple puzzles or other items from them.
Keep an eye out for garage sales during their season. Where I live, garage sales happen in the spring, summer, and fall. People list their sales online on community websites like Nextdoor and post signs on major roads.
3) Family and friends
If you know someone who has some unused puzzles on their hands, ask if they’ll sell or give them to you. Most families I know want to declutter their homes. They’ve done the puzzles already, or they have too many games and puzzles in their house.
They’d gladly give their puzzles away to anyone who wants them. If you feel awkward about it, offer to pay a small amount or trade puzzles with them.
My family knows I like puzzles so they gave me a cute Disney one for Christmas. That was free!
Let your family and friends know that you like puzzles and where you shop. When your birthday or the holidays come around, they will give you puzzles and gift cards to puzzle stores.
4) Seasonal stores
Look for seasonal stores in the mall around Christmas time. These stores often sell calendars, games, puzzles, and trinket gifts hoping that shoppers will buy them as Christmas gifts.
The one in my mall is called Go! Calendars & Games. The items typically go on sale after Christmas.
5) Retail stores
You might be surprised that you can find puzzles for less than $10 at retail stores, but it’s possible. Check out discount stores, the toy sections, and sales aisles.
The Barnes & Noble store near me had a buy-one-get-one-50%-off sale on puzzles. I could barely keep myself from grabbing an armful!
- Walmart
- TJ Maxx
- Target
- Old Navy (online sale)
- Barnes & Noble
- Big Lots
6) Amazon
It’s impossible to mention shopping for puzzles without mentioning Amazon. It’s easy to filter search results to 1,000 pieces and a maximum of $10. You’ll find items that are regularly low-priced, sale items, and limited-time deals, so it pays to search from time to time.
I found some beautiful puzzles for less than $10 that I’d like to do. I have Amazon Prime for quick 2-day shipping, and I earn Amazon gift cards via cashback sites like Swagbucks. That covers the cost of fun items like games and puzzles for me.
7) Online puzzle stores
A quick Google search will show you that there are lots of online stores that specialize in selling puzzles. Several of these websites offer discounts that can significantly bring down the cost of their puzzles.
- Sign up for their email list
- Create an account as a new shopper
- Shop the sales section
- Wait for sales
Top online puzzle stores:
- Bits and Pieces
Bits and Pieces has a section of their website dedicated to puzzles priced $9.99 and under. On my last look, I saw 1,000-piece puzzles with the cutest winter scenes.
Bits and Pieces even offers free puzzles! You can get a free puzzle of 300, 500, or 1000 pieces when you purchase another puzzle as long as supplies last.
- Puzzle Warehouse
Puzzle Warehouse offers a Puzzle of the Month Club. The price of the puzzles depends on the membership option that you choose. While the puzzles are not $10 each, they’re still a good deal and you can switch out ones you don’t like for ones that you do before they ship.
- Serious Puzzles
At the time of this writing, Serious Puzzles didn’t have any 1,000-piece puzzles for under $10, but there were many 500-piece puzzles for that price. There are plenty of options if you’re open to doing a smaller puzzle.
8) Online second-hand marketplaces
Online second-hand sites are a treasure-trove of great puzzles at cheap prices. The selection changes constantly as people upload new items for sale. You can send offers and negotiate on price and shipping. You can get rare and special puzzles this way too. My favorite second-hand sites for puzzles:
- eBay
- Mercari
- Facebook Marketplace
Check out some of these recent listings on eBay. They’re fun puzzles at low prices!
Just be sure to check shipping costs before you purchase from these sites. Some sellers may offer free shipping. Others have the buyer pay, and shipping a bulky or heavy puzzle can be more than the price of the puzzle itself.
Final Thoughts
Puzzles are a fun pastime for the whole family. They’re great for spending quality time together and improving the mind too. You can find all sorts of pricey puzzles, but you don’t have to spend more than $10 to get some beautiful 1,000-piece puzzles if you look in the right places as mentioned above. Happy puzzling!