The Jigsaw is one of the oldest pastimes and a favorite family game.
Their popularity has spawned competitions, speed puzzlers, and a Guinness World Record of the fastest puzzle ever put together.
If you are a puzzling expert and looking to cash in, then check out the tips in this article.
Table of Contents
Why Get Paid to Do Jigsaw Puzzles?
The creation of the jigsaw puzzle dates back to the 1970’s as a European extension of what to do with old colored map pieces.
First, this company has paid $25+ million to members:
SurveyJunkie (only USA, Canada, Australia residents allowed). You can earn money sharing your thoughts. They have already paid $25+ million to their 20+ million members just for sharing their thoughts and opinions. Click here to join SurveyJunkie for FREE
Over time they became so popular that artist Jackson Pollock was inspired to design Spring Brook, known as the world’s most difficult puzzle.
From new puzzlers to collectors these colorful wooden pieces are bringing together people from all across the world.
What started as a hobby to pass the time by has turned into a phenomenon that can end up making you thousands of dollars.
How to Get Paid to Do Jigsaw Puzzles
Sell Your Puzzles
When jigsaw puzzles were first created you can buy them for as little as five bucks depending on the map maker that you got them from.
However, once they hit the United States they began to increase in popularity and the price of them has gone up dramatically.
Sites like Puzzle Warehouse allow you to sell your used jigsaw puzzle for anywhere between 15 and $100 a piece.
All you have to do is have them in the original packaging and make sure that all the pieces are there.
However, you can also sell them at competitions, online stores like Etsy, as well as through social media or other selling platforms.
Become A Collector
Many people are avid collectors of all sorts of things including jewelry, coins, furniture and puzzles.
However, puzzles are fast becoming one of the most expensive antique items of all time.
What used to be just a few funny looking pieces that you put together has morphed into hundreds of categories and boxes of more than 10,000 pieces.
The most expensive puzzle ever sold was the Stomachian or Ostomachian puzzle which dates back to 287 bc.
Enter Puzzling Contests
Puzzling contests are events that can draw people from all over the country and sometimes the competitions can take you around the world.
There are many famous contests that happen every year with hundreds or thousands of applicants.
Some of the most famous ones are held in multiple countries such as the events featured below:
- Jigsaw Puzzle World Championship
- Hope for Three Jigsaw Puzzle
- Puzzle Parley
- New Market Jigsaw Festival
One of them held in the United Kingdom each year has a competition where you have to put together over 17,000 pieces in one sitting.
Become a Professional Puzzler
Ask anyone who has a fascination with puzzles, and they will remind you just how popular they are to millions of people.
A new profession that has cropped up over the years is a professional puzzler or puzzle master.
Puzzling is now a sport where you can enter all types of contests from local to state championships.
And if you are really good, then you can join puzzling organizations or federations. There you can compete at events of Olympic proportions.
Download Apps
Cell phones let you download just about anything and that includes all types of games. However, in the past few years that now includes puzzles.
Jigsaw Puzzle is an Android based puzzle app that lets you choose from 10,000 different pictures in all different categories.
They also let you enjoy a wide range of features to keep your plays alive by providing:
- New puzzles each day
- Eleven game levels
- Custom puzzle photo creation
Related: Apps to Play Quiz and Win Prizes.
10 Best Companies That Pay You to Do Jigsaw Puzzles
When it comes to playing puzzles, you might not think of them as being more than just a tedious and time-consuming game.
However, you would actually be surprised at just how much money you can make with the use of some well-placed sequencing and logic.
Puzzle players are taking over the game industry and making a name for themselves.
Currently there are more than one hundred types of puzzles in existence all carefully designed and crafted.
And boy are they worth some money.
In fact, the most expensive puzzle ever sold won it’s assemblers a whopping $15,000 in prize money.
1. Jigsaw Explorer
Jigsaw Explorer is an online site that lets you play all sorts of online puzzles.
They have several different options to choose from and even offer options for multi-player competitions.
The puzzles come in many different configurations and have many options such as :
- Editors Picks
- Weekly Mystery Puzzles
- Holiday Themed Puzzles
The site boasts more than 660,00 players so you won’t have a shortage of players to go up against.
Click here to check out Jigsaw Explorer
2. Create Jigsaw Puzzles
Create Jigsaw Puzzles is an online marketplace that lets you sell your jigsaw puzzles to buyers from across the internet.
During the registration you can set up a free account and create your own online shop.
The site does require all submissions to be in line with their specifications in terms of size, shape and stock amount requirements.
Receiving approval is fairly easy and then you can gain as many customers as you want.
Click here to check out Create Jigsaw Puzzles
3. Wealth Words
Wealth Words is an online puzzling platform that pays you to put together or solve all types of puzzles.
Once joining the site, you can also participate in many other activities like:
- Crossword puzzles
- Poems
- Short stories
Registration is completely free, and you can choose payment methods like Paypal, bank withdrawal or gift cards.
Click here to check out Wealth Words
Again, this company has paid $25+ million to members:
SurveyJunkie (only USA, Canada, Australia residents allowed). You can earn money sharing your thoughts. They have already paid $25+ million to their 20+ million members just for sharing their thoughts and opinions. Click here to join SurveyJunkie for FREE
4. Strong National Museum of Play
The Strong National Museum of Play is an architectural treasure and located in the Rochester area of New York.
They have amassed a collectors dream of more than 7,500 puzzles to date.
For a puzzling fanatic this may be the perfect job for you as it allows you to fully examine the history, genre, and storage requirements of some of their most prized collections.
You can enjoy jobs that will give you puzzle fever such as the titles below:
- Curator
- Content Creator
As an added perk you also get a front row seat to some of their most popular exhibits like the National Archives or Gameshow History, or the Sutton Smith Archives.
Click here to check out Strong National Museum of Play
5. RedBubble
Red Bubble is one of the premier global internet marketplaces and caters to creators who make all sorts of products ranging from printables to masks to puzzles and more.
They have several methods that you can use to make money and maximize your earnings including:
- Selling your items directly
- Teaching someone a skill
- Becoming an affiliate
- Working directly for the company
You can even save an extra 20% off a membership when you register as a new creator.
Visit this link to read more about how to sell and make money on RedBubble.
Click here to check out RedBubble
6. Nii Jigsaw
Nii Jigsaw is a new mobile application from the makers of NIi Bordjoe.
The apps creator Cordjoe designed and put it on the market a couple of years ago.
You can download the app and get paid to do activities including solving word searches, putting together jigsaw puzzles, and spinning the wheel.
Points and prizes are redeemed for cash value and paid out via PayPal or gift cards.
Click here to check out Nii Jigsaw
7. Vintage Cash Cow
Vintage Cash Cow is an online marketplace that deals exclusively with the vintage puzzle market.
They have found a way to turn your old puzzles into a seller’s market.
Registration is simple and all that you have to do is sign up, send in your products, wait for an appraisal, receive an offer and cash the check.
The site allows a free registration process and even handles the shipping costs by sending you a free postage envelope for sending in your orders.
Also See: Websites to Get Paid to Write Slogans, Websites to Get Paid to Write Lesson Plans & Apps to Get Paid for Your Data.
8. Perk Puzzles
Perk Puzzles is a fine arts marketplace that specializes in puzzles with a more contemporary design.
You can also sell anything from wall art to home decor to stationary too.
The site also lets you turn your products into other types of mediums like posters, pictures, or t-shirts.
Selling items is easy on that platform since it gives you access to millions of other sellers, creators and collectors.
9. Magic Jigsaw Puzzles
Magic Jigsaw Puzzles is a site that offers more than 20,000 puzzles to choose from with the ability to make money from playing online games.
They host features like a free puzzle toolbox, tips on the best assembly, and fun historical facts.
The sign up process is really easy and the application can be downloaded on all of your favorite devices such as:
- Android
- Microsoft
- iPhone
- Alternative moble devices
Click here to check out Magic Jigsaw Puzzles
10. World Jigsaw Puzzle Federation
The World Jigsaw Puzzle Federation is an organization that hosts a puzzling championship for players all around the world.
It’s the closest thing that you will find to the Olympics in the field of puzzle assembly.
The contests that they hold are measured in areas such as preciseness, speed, and the sheer number of puzzles that can be solved in one sitting or round of competition.
Some of the highest paid puzzle contestants have reported winning more than $2,500 Euros.
Money Puzzles FAQs
Can I Make Money Doing Jigsaw Puzzles?
Yes, you can, as this article has already demonstrated.
Making money by doing jigsaw puzzles is relatively easy with the rise of contests, online marketplaces, and mobile applications.
You can make anywhere from as little as $21 per hour or as much as $35 per hour depending on the type of company that you are working with.
Business owners who are professional puzzlers for a living report making various income figures based on whether they are entering contests or giving tutorials.
Is There a Market for Old Jigsaw Puzzles?
Old jigsaw puzzles have never been more in demand with the explosion of growth that they have received due to the pandemic as well as more and more enthusiasts turning into collectors.
You can also choose to sell your puzzles to historical societies or museums who will archive them for future generations.
Another option that may be of interest is donating your works to charitable organizations like Puzzles to Remember who work with individuals in nursing homes or veterans.
How Much Does a Professional Puzzler Make?
Professional puzzlers are some of the highest paid people in the arts and creative industry.
They are known for having salaries that can range anywhere from $30,000 on the lower level to upwards of $100,000 for industry specialists with lots of experience.
However, there are those rare occasions that some puzzlers have reported making as much as $8,000 for novelty creations such as the ones sold by industry veteran Steve Richardson.
How Do I Start a Puzzle Business?
Starting a puzzle business is easier to do than you might think it is.
You just need to come up with a business plan, create some puzzles, and begin listing your products.
There are many sites that will let you get started for little no to entry costs by methods such as hosting on their platform, setting up an online store, uploading your products directly in exchange for a commission rate split.
Conclusion
Jigsaw puzzles are one of the best inventions ever created.
They have turned people into some of the most prominent collectors, traders, and players across the globe.
But playing this game can bring you more than a good time. In this article we have shown you how to play the game, have a good time, and make a killing.
Again, this company has paid $25+ million to members:
SurveyJunkie (only USA, Canada, Australia residents allowed). You can earn money sharing your thoughts. They have already paid $25+ million to their 20+ million members just for sharing their thoughts and opinions. Click here to join SurveyJunkie for FREE