The Idea for Jigsaw Exchange

The Idea for Jigsaw Exchange

Most home-owners will admit that they have too much “clutter” around the house and that they do not have enough time to sort it out or that they do not know what they want to do with it.

As I stared at my walk-in wardrobe, which did not have a single item of clothing in it, but was instead packed full of used jigsaws, I realised that I had not touched any of them for decades, and in some cases since childhood.

So, when you have finished your latest jigsaw and experienced the satisfaction of seeing your complete picture emerge from chaotic fragments, what do you do with it? Stick it in a cupboard, perhaps the attic or, as in my case, in a badly-needed wardrobe? On the whole, you probably won’t want to do a jigsaw twice.

It’s always a bit sad as well as satisfying, the finishing of a good jigsaw, but what if you could get some money back for your used one? This was the kernel of the idea for Jigsaw Exchange, uniquely run on a commercial basis to offer a high quality pre-owned puzzles and money back for some of your completed ones.

Customers are tapping into the shopping revolution for pre-owned or “pre-loved” goods, including jigsaws, as the stigma of buying goods second-hand disappears. So-called ‘recommerce’ is also thrifty : it cuts clutter in our homes and it’s good for the environment.

Sales at charity shops and other second-hand vendors are booming and experts believe the recommerce market will double in size over the next five years. As a testament to this trend, Etsy, a US-based online marketplace, has recently bought UK second-hand clothing app Depop for £1.1 billion!

In the case of jigsaws, people are realising that buying a pre-owned puzzle is extremely good value for money for an item that they will probably only use once. Jigsaw Exchange is pleased to be a contributor to what marketeers call the “circular economy” in which used goods are recycled instead of stored or binned.