If you have ever watched Antiques Roadshow or other similar programs, you have probably noticed that just because something is old does not necessarily make it valuable. In fact, there are many collectible items that are just not worth too much. There are a lot of factors that can determine value such as age, condition, rareness and the puzzle’s subject matter. However, like anything in a market economy, the good old laws of supply and demand are the main reason something will command a high value.
Vintage and collectible wooden puzzles are no different. There are a select few brands such as Stave and Par which are really the cream of the crop and see the highest resale value. Some others such as Pastime, Madmar and Falls are collectible to some degree, but don’t command near the price that a Stave or Par would. One reason for this is a lot of puzzles were either mass produced or produced by relatively obscure puzzle manufacturers during the height of the puzzle craze during the first half of the 20th century. As a result, a lot are constantly surfacing on the market. Despite the fact that Pars and Staves were/are also produced in fair quantities, there is still a much greater demand than supply; a simple example of High School economics!