Highly collectible vintage puzzles by Waddingtons
British company Waddington’s House of Games (later just Waddingtons) have been producing card games, board games and jigsaw puzzles since 1922.
Limited edition, first edition, rare and vintage puzzles
Waddingtons jigsaw puzzles range in complexity from 150 to 3000 pieces. Their original high production quality combined with the limited edition status of many items makes Waddingtons puzzles very collectible. Browse eBay to find Sealed NOS (New Old Stock), BNIB (Brand New in Box) and good condition collectible vintage puzzles dating back to the 70s and 80s.
Collectible tie-in puzzles
Especially collectible are Waddingtons tie-ins for Dr Who and other television programmes, feature films and comics. Here on eBay you’ll find listings for vintage Marvel puzzles, vintage Star Wars puzzles, very collectible Disney puzzles, as well as a few odds and ends from classic 70s and 80s characters like Snoopy and Benji.
Modern tie-ins likely to appreciate over time include Potterverse puzzles (multiple Harry Potter puzzles plus a Fantastic Beasts puzzle) and video game tie-ins.
Limited edition Christmas puzzles
Only thirteen were ever released, starting in 1994 with the final edition released in 2007. The small number of puzzles still in circulation, combined with their status as limited editions, has made Waddingtons Christmas puzzles highly collectible. eBay is considered the best source for these hard-to-find vintage gems.
Note that after Waddingtons closed doors, another company in 2010 picked up production of the limited edition Christmas puzzles, still using the Waddingtons brand name. These puzzles are clearly produced with collectibility in mind, and come complete with a certificate of authenticity and collector’s coin. So far, these puzzles don’t have quite the same collectible value as the original Waddingtons puzzles.
Vintage scenery and landmark puzzles
Waddingtons also made premium puzzles of breathtaking scenery and stately landmarks, including castles, gardens and towers.
Deluxe art replica puzzles
Look out for high-quality productions of fine art puzzles replicating masterpieces such as Degas’ The Dance Class.
Unique, quirky puzzle formats
Waddingtons experimented with peculiar puzzle formats like scrolls and circles - an excellent edition to round out your collectible puzzle collection.