It's funny - some people love glossy puzzles; some love random cuts; some like matte. You were spoiled with matte finish puzzles before you did this VCC puzzle. I was the opposite: I did glossy puzzles all the time in the beginning and then I bought a brand that was matte finish and boy what a treat! I stick with matte as often as I can, because when the light bounces off a puzzle that has a sheen, you cannot tell the shade at all and it gets so frustrating, the enjoyment dies. Really enjoy your videos, enjoy your observations.
Thanks for sharing. I never know if it's just me. Always good to read from other puzzlers. I learn a lot from the comments section. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!!
I’m not a fan of shiny puzzles either Johnie. I have a much harder time doing them at night with artificial lighting, so If I’m doing one I try to do it during the day. The window in the room where I do my puzzles does have a sheer curtain over it so I think that helps diffuse the sunlight and lessens the glare. Jacarou and Eeboo brands both have quite a bit of shine, but I do them anyway because I love the colorful images enough to make it worth it. Thanks for the great video!
I have a JaCaRoo waiting for after the Halloween season. I think I'll so that one first just cause I'm curious to see the difference. I dont have Eeboo but I see they have really good images to chose from. Thanks for the comment, I'll look for Eeboo later
Eeboo puzzles have glossy pieces. However, I love doing them. Most of the puzzles are very colorful and bright. I have not had any problems putting them together.
I would say the difficulty is more from the mass of dark pieces than from the glossy cover - I've done many shiny puzzles and never have any problem - I just reposition my lamp so it works for me. Easy peasy! But, dark puzzles... well, that's difficult for sure! I've tried and struggled, so now I just stick to bright and colorful or light - so much easier to see what's on the pieces.
I just did a Vermont Puzzle Company Halloween puzzle called Fright Night. I was so thrilled with the image, but it was shiny and the pieces were crumbly. I did not use natural light, but I did bounce a lamp off the wall to put a soft “glow” on the puzzle. This worked very well for all that shine. I understand how that would drive you crazy!!!!
Oh man that combo glossy and dark would be brutal. Glossy can make a real fun puzzle a chore to get through the glare really does make a difference in the experience. Cool image though! Glad you stuck with it, looks great!
Thanks for the comment again :) I really don't wanna give up once I start a puzzle. Not the fist time, the Ravensburger Krypt was a hard one to complete. Thanks for watching!
I'm happy you stuck with it too, it looks great finished. I agree on the glossy finished, it's horrible to do. Think daylight is the best, no other tips. I try my best to void them as well. For me this Halloween, it will be Friday the 13th from OP games, I've done it once and it took a very long time. Will have to start next week and hope it doesn't take forever.
eeBoo puzzles are extremely glossy, but images are just beautiful. I have very bad lightning in my livingroom, and eeBoos are almost impossible to do in winter. I have 10 eeBoos in my collection, including a Christmas puzzle which I'd like to do in the Holidays. Wish me luck. 😁 Your puzzle has a stunning image, but it really seems hard to do. Dark pieces with glossy finish is just soooo difficult. But you can be happy you didn't give up. 👍
Well done finishing a challenging puzzle! While matte is my preference I don’t mind glossy if the image isn’t too dark. I did my first eeBoo this month and loved it despite the glossy finish. I have a 550 Vermont Christmas Company Halloween puzzle to do in October. Very dark. Will see how I like it.
Hi Johnie, I like that Halloween puzzle. I like the matte as well. We are always learning and in my opinion it’s not because you’re puzzling in the daylight. But if you have the sun beating in and hitting your puzzle you will have a bit of glare. Some puzzles are too glossy and will have glare. That puzzle did look too hard, and that’s why I didn’t buy it! Well bravo to you for doing it. TFS &👍😊my friend.
Thanks for the video Johnie. I had 3 VCC Halloween puzzles in my wish list and was waiting for your review before buying. I had somehow missed that they were random cut pieces. I've learned to deal with shiny but I get frustrated with random cut pieces and need to take more breaks to keep from quitting. They do have lots of cool images though. I think I'll just buy one 500 piece for now and pick out a ribbon cut from another brand. Thanks again.
To each their own! I read a lot of comments about random cuts. It's really how it is. Some really like it and others just want nothing to do with it. Thanks for watching!
Other glossy puzzle brands in my experience: Clementoni, Dowdle. I improve my glare by puzzling with my back to the window (puzzle in front of me). All the artificial light that I use is angled so the light reflects off the puzzle away from me (no light from directly overhead). I use white foam boards for sorting/holding pieces (your black sorting trays likely made this puzzle more difficult). Congrats on finishing this very difficult puzzle!
@@minos3041 The glossy puzzle was the Clementoni 500 piece "The Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza." Was the gloss due being part of the "High Quality Collection"?
I’m doing a similar puzzle at moment. It’s an Art Puzzle puzzle, very shiny and lots of black and dark areas. I am not a lover of shiny puzzles, but some images I just need to do. Art Puzzle has some beautiful images so when I start one I don’t time (even out of interest) and I set out knowing it’ll be on the board for a week or two and that’s fine. I take my time and enjoy, some sittings I might only put in 10 pieces. I like a slow leisurely challenge every now and then but always follow it up with a 500 piece 😂
Ah, glossy puzzles are ones that I avoid. That's why I don't do Eboo puzzles as they are too glossy for me. The puzzle you did had rather a lot of dark areas which wouldn't have helped. Well done for getting there in the end. Your next puzzle should be better as there is more in the way of light coloured areas. Look forward to seeing that one.
Have you considered using a puzzle board? I use the Ravensburger Stand and Go (for 1000 piece puzzles) and it lifts the puzzle maybe 15 degrees. It cuts the glare significantly. I'm not sure how it will look on camera, but it should definitely ease some of your frustrations. There are other alternative boards out there, but the Stand and Go is one of the more budget-friendly ones.
Ohh wow you are so right! Having the puzzle angles towards me a little bit will do that I'm sure. Thanks for the idea! Maybe I'll get something like that in the future!
I cannot do dark colors due to eyes now that I am in my 70's. If you add the glare factor definitely not a puzzle I could do. I have done lighter brighter colors in gloss finish but still hard on my eyes. I actually have a puzzle room with dimable lights and I do tone them a bit if needed. Plus I also have a white curtain on the window so light comes in but not direct sunlight. Good job as always with your strategy talk and analysis of that brand as I have never heard of it. Thanks for the entertainment!!
Thanks for watching. I was really curious about that brand. Never seen it until I started to look for Halloween puzzles. It was hard but I'm glad I tried, at least now I know what to expect!
It's funny - some people love glossy puzzles; some love random cuts; some like matte. You were spoiled with matte finish puzzles before you did this VCC puzzle. I was the opposite: I did glossy puzzles all the time in the beginning and then I bought a brand that was matte finish and boy what a treat! I stick with matte as often as I can, because when the light bounces off a puzzle that has a sheen, you cannot tell the shade at all and it gets so frustrating, the enjoyment dies.
Really enjoy your videos, enjoy your observations.
Thanks for sharing. I never know if it's just me. Always good to read from other puzzlers. I learn a lot from the comments section. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!!
I’m not a fan of shiny puzzles either Johnie. I have a much harder time doing them at night with artificial lighting, so If I’m doing one I try to do it during the day. The window in the room where I do my puzzles does have a sheer curtain over it so I think that helps diffuse the sunlight and lessens the glare. Jacarou and Eeboo brands both have quite a bit of shine, but I do them anyway because I love the colorful images enough to make it worth it. Thanks for the great video!
I have a JaCaRoo waiting for after the Halloween season. I think I'll so that one first just cause I'm curious to see the difference. I dont have Eeboo but I see they have really good images to chose from. Thanks for the comment, I'll look for Eeboo later
Eeboo puzzles have glossy pieces. However, I love doing them. Most of the puzzles are very colorful and bright. I have not had any problems putting them together.
Thank you for the feedback I'll check them. I have a few that I really liked so I'll try one later
I would say the difficulty is more from the mass of dark pieces than from the glossy cover - I've done many shiny puzzles and never have any problem - I just reposition my lamp so it works for me. Easy peasy! But, dark puzzles... well, that's difficult for sure! I've tried and struggled, so now I just stick to bright and colorful or light - so much easier to see what's on the pieces.
Good point! I'll definitely have to try a glossy puzzle with different colors!
I just did a Vermont Puzzle Company Halloween puzzle called Fright Night. I was so thrilled with the image, but it was shiny and the pieces were crumbly. I did not use natural light, but I did bounce a lamp off the wall to put a soft “glow” on the puzzle. This worked very well for all that shine. I understand how that would drive you crazy!!!!
Thank you for the comment. Didn't think of that "bounce" idea. Maybe next time!
Oh man that combo glossy and dark would be brutal. Glossy can make a real fun puzzle a chore to get through the glare really does make a difference in the experience. Cool image though! Glad you stuck with it, looks great!
Thanks for the comment again :) I really don't wanna give up once I start a puzzle. Not the fist time, the Ravensburger Krypt was a hard one to complete. Thanks for watching!
I'm happy you stuck with it too, it looks great finished. I agree on the glossy finished, it's horrible to do. Think daylight is the best, no other tips. I try my best to void them as well. For me this Halloween, it will be Friday the 13th from OP games, I've done it once and it took a very long time. Will have to start next week and hope it doesn't take forever.
Ohh I'll look for it I'm curious. Thank you for the comment:)
I like random cut puzzles. The older Springbok puzzles are my favorite.
I hear about "older" Springbok but I never had a chance to try one. Maybe I should check eBay or something...
I did 2 VCC 550 piece Halloween puzzles this week and enjoyed both. The first was quite dark but more manageable with the smaller piece count.
Thanks for the feedback, maybe I'll give it another chance someday, They really have great images!
eeBoo puzzles are extremely glossy, but images are just beautiful. I have very bad lightning in my livingroom, and eeBoos are almost impossible to do in winter. I have 10 eeBoos in my collection, including a Christmas puzzle which I'd like to do in the Holidays. Wish me luck. 😁 Your puzzle has a stunning image, but it really seems hard to do. Dark pieces with glossy finish is just soooo difficult. But you can be happy you didn't give up. 👍
Wow i really read a lot of comments about the eeboo being super glossy. I'll chose carefully whenever I try that brand!
Well done finishing a challenging puzzle! While matte is my preference I don’t mind glossy if the image isn’t too dark. I did my first eeBoo this month and loved it despite the glossy finish. I have a 550 Vermont Christmas Company Halloween puzzle to do in October. Very dark. Will see how I like it.
Please let me know later. I'm curious how it will go. Thank you for the comment. I read many many comments about eeboo
Hi Johnie, I like that Halloween puzzle. I like the matte as well. We are always learning and in my opinion it’s not because you’re puzzling in the daylight. But if you have the sun beating in and hitting your puzzle you will have a bit of glare. Some puzzles are too glossy and will have glare. That puzzle did look too hard, and that’s why I didn’t buy it! Well bravo to you for doing it. TFS &👍😊my friend.
Thanks for the input, always good to hear other views. Thanks again for watching!!
Thanks for the video Johnie. I had 3 VCC Halloween puzzles in my wish list and was waiting for your review before buying. I had somehow missed that they were random cut pieces. I've learned to deal with shiny but I get frustrated with random cut pieces and need to take more breaks to keep from quitting. They do have lots of cool images though. I think I'll just buy one 500 piece for now and pick out a ribbon cut from another brand. Thanks again.
To each their own! I read a lot of comments about random cuts. It's really how it is. Some really like it and others just want nothing to do with it. Thanks for watching!
Other glossy puzzle brands in my experience: Clementoni, Dowdle. I improve my glare by puzzling with my back to the window (puzzle in front of me). All the artificial light that I use is angled so the light reflects off the puzzle away from me (no light from directly overhead). I use white foam boards for sorting/holding pieces (your black sorting trays likely made this puzzle more difficult). Congrats on finishing this very difficult puzzle!
Thank you for this! Will try that next time. I had a clementoni before and didn't remember struggling that much. Will check again.
I’ve got 2 Celementoni puzzles and they aren’t glossy
@@minos3041 The glossy puzzle was the Clementoni 500 piece "The Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza." Was the gloss due being part of the "High Quality Collection"?
@@clarkkent7973 I will investigate
I never see a glossy Clementoni puzzle. I have tens of mat Clementoni.
I’m doing a similar puzzle at moment. It’s an Art Puzzle puzzle, very shiny and lots of black and dark areas. I am not a lover of shiny puzzles, but some images I just need to do. Art Puzzle has some beautiful images so when I start one I don’t time (even out of interest) and I set out knowing it’ll be on the board for a week or two and that’s fine. I take my time and enjoy, some sittings I might only put in 10 pieces. I like a slow leisurely challenge every now and then but always follow it up with a 500 piece 😂
Yes it's fun to mix it up. A challenging one here and there followed by a fun easy one. I do that too haha it's my pattern!
Ah, glossy puzzles are ones that I avoid. That's why I don't do Eboo puzzles as they are too glossy for me. The puzzle you did had rather a lot of dark areas which wouldn't have helped. Well done for getting there in the end. Your next puzzle should be better as there is more in the way of light coloured areas. Look forward to seeing that one.
Yes can't wait!! It's Yazz so I'm sure it will be fun!
That really looks like a hard one, but the way is target, as we say over here. Congratulations on finishing it, and i loved the finished image😊
Thanks so much!
Have you considered using a puzzle board? I use the Ravensburger Stand and Go (for 1000 piece puzzles) and it lifts the puzzle maybe 15 degrees. It cuts the glare significantly. I'm not sure how it will look on camera, but it should definitely ease some of your frustrations. There are other alternative boards out there, but the Stand and Go is one of the more budget-friendly ones.
Ohh wow you are so right! Having the puzzle angles towards me a little bit will do that I'm sure. Thanks for the idea! Maybe I'll get something like that in the future!
I cannot do dark colors due to eyes now that I am in my 70's. If you add the glare factor definitely not a puzzle I could do. I have done lighter brighter colors in gloss finish but still hard on my eyes. I actually have a puzzle room with dimable lights and I do tone them a bit if needed. Plus I also have a white curtain on the window so light comes in but not direct sunlight. Good job as always with your strategy talk and analysis of that brand as I have never heard of it. Thanks for the entertainment!!
Thanks for watching. I was really curious about that brand. Never seen it until I started to look for Halloween puzzles. It was hard but I'm glad I tried, at least now I know what to expect!
I did an easy Halloween puzzle by Mudpuppy. 500 pieces.
Never heard of that brand before
U should mark ur date n time completion inside box tops. Then you can see if you improve on another try. Lol
Good job though. 🎉
I have a document on my computer and I keep all my times. Didn't think of writing inside the boxes. Good tip!
Did you watch the Worlds competitions?
Of course!!
Dark glossy puzzle random cut this harmony would be completed by misfitting and make you to throw it out 😂😂😂
Hahahaha