Consumer FAQs for Cobble Hill Puzzle Co
A. Puzzle Issues
1. Do you have a contact form?See more.
A. Yes! We have a few depending on what you need to contact us for. If you have general questions, please use our General Inquiries form by CLICKING HERE. This form is ideal for general questions, testimonies, or inquiries. For defective puzzles, including missing pieces, please fill out our Puzzle Issues form by CLICKING HERE. You will receive an auto-reply, but if you included everything we asked for, then you can be confident our team is working on your replacement request. If you are inquiring about becoming a distributor or retailer, then please CLICK HERE.
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2. Can you replace a missing or damaged piece?See more.
A. First, we're very sorry if the puzzle piece(s) was/were lost or damaged at our factory! We do replace puzzles that were purchased new from a store. While we can send a replacement bag, if the puzzle is in stock, we cannot send you just the missing piece, nor we can guarantee that the new bag will have the same shaped pieces. We use many unique die cutters, so it's likely that a new bag of the same image may have been cut with a different die. To request a replacement bag, please fill out the Puzzle Issues form under our Contact Us link on the navigation bar. Once the form is submitted, you'll receive an auto-reply and a ticket number. Thank you for your patience!Click for the Puzzle Issues Form.
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3. What is a UPC code?See more.
A. UPC code is a 12 digit number that helps us identify the product. You can find it on the side of your box and it starts with "6-25012". It has black stripes and it is required to replace a missing pieces or defective puzzle.
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4. Where do you ship your puzzles from?See more.
A. Our sales and administration office is in Victoria, BC and our warehouse is in Brampton, ON. So, all the puzzles we ship to retailers and consumers leave from our Brampton, ON warehouse. For USA customers, the puzzles ship out of Brampton, ON to Buffalo, NY and then it's distributed from there.
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5. Why hasn't someone answered my email?See more.
A. Our team answers emails fairly quickly, sometimes within minutes. We're open Monday to Friday from 7am PST to 3pm PST, so if you emailed over the weekend, please allow a day or so for our team to catch up. We get a lot of inquiries from manufacturing questions, website, donation, puzzle inquiries, quality questions - so there is a lot to get to each day. But your question is important to us, so if you feel like it was overlooked, please let us know. Otherwise, our team is working as quick as they can to get back to you. We have a high volume of donation requests, so we may only respond to the ones that we're able to put on our calendar.
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6. How long will it take for my replacement to arrive?See more.
A. Usually, you will get your replacement within 1 to 2 weeks of your request. International requests can take 4 to 6 weeks. If you feel like you've been waiting too long, feel free to reach out to us and we'd be happy to check the status for you.
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B. Puzzle Questions
1. What's the difference in puzzle box size/design and poster/no poster?See more.
A. No matter what size puzzle box you purchase, the quality should be the same if it's a Cobble Hill branded puzzle. We produce puzzles on special request for certain retailers. Some retailers like smaller, square boxes as it takes up less shelf space (we call these square boxes "Modular" puzzles). At this time, the Modular puzzles do not include reference posters. Our standard puzzle boxes are rectangular in shape (26.625" x 19.25") and the majority include a reference poster. If having a poster is important, please be sure to look for "Poster Included" below our logo on the front of the box. If you do not see that, then the puzzle does not have a poster. Also, you'll often find our puzzles at Hobby Lobby or other stores with a beige border, these do not include posters. Any puzzle box design with a light beige frame pre-dates our new design from 2018, which is when we started including posters. In 2023, you'll see another box size that is similar to standard paper at 11.25" x 8.25" x 2", which includes a folded poster of 10" x 14". There was a reduction in the box size due to supply shortages and this was a great option to help us keep costs down for retailers and consumers, while still offering our high-quality puzzles.
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2. What do the puzzle pieces look like?See more.
A. The Family Pieces 350 have small, medium and large pieces so puzzlers of all skill levels can collaborate on the puzzle. The Easy Handling 275 puzzles have the largest size pieces, averaging between 1.5" to 4" and are an excellent choice for someone with impaired vision or declining motor function. The 500 piece puzzles have fairly large size pieces, slightly bigger than a quarter. The 1000 piece puzzles are more similar to a nickel. To see a comparison of the actual piece sizes, please CLICK HERE.
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3. Are the puzzle piece counts exact or an approximation?See more.
A. The piece count on the box is an approximation, not an accurate count of the pieces. Our puzzle dies are handmade and although we give instructions to create a 1000 or 500 piece template, the die maker does his best to come as close as possible to the piece count. However, on occasion, we could have 1007 pieces or 991 pieces in a "1000 piece" puzzle and it will be a complete puzzle in either case. This applies to all the piece counts..
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4. When will Cobble Hill puzzles be in stock at my local or favourite online retailer?See more.
A. We appreciate that you want to support your local or favourite online retailer, thank you! Your retailer may be waiting for an order to be shipped to them. We recommend phoning them to see if the puzzle you want is on their purchase order. There can often be a waiting period between the time we announce NEW puzzles and when your retailer will receive it. If you see an announcement for a new puzzle, then your retailer could be getting it anywhere from one week to two months depending on if they are signed up as a Preferred Retailer. It's always good to check in with them! Thank you for supporting our retailers!.
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5. Why are your puzzle pieces such quirky shapes?See more.
A. A signature part of the Cobble Hill brand are our random cut puzzle pieces that we think are absolutely fun(ky)! Those quirky pieces keep puzzle time interesting as you hunt for the exact piece that fits with its mates. Our puzzle pieces do not line up in the traditional neat rows and columns creating a grid pattern - or ribbon cut as it's known. Rather, because our pieces have bends and curves, are tall and short, they end up creating a random pattern. That said, the pieces should always interlock with one another as opposed to bumping up against each other so that you're able to move pieces in sections. If you find that is not the case, do let us know so we can find out what the designer did with that particular die cutter. To read more about the difference between a ribbon cut puzzle (like most European brands) and a random cut puzzle (our signature style), please read our blog, here.
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C. Where to Buy
1. Where can I buy Cobble Hill puzzles locally?See more.
A. We love that you want to buy local! To find a local retailer, please use our Find A Store link by CLICKING HERE. We do not sell puzzles directly from our Victoria, BC or Brampton, ON locations. If you can't find a local store, then please try one of our North American Online Retailers or International Online Retailers.
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2. Why don't you ship to Hawaii, Alaska, or Nunavut?See more.
A. We are so sorry that we're not able to service those distant areas, but we just don't get a good enough cost break from the shipping companies. In just about every online order, we eat the cost of shipping, so you're only paying a portion of what we actually pay to Canada Post or FedEx to ship your package. As a wholesaler, our big cost breaks come from shipping to our retailers, so we would love for you to support our online retailers who focus on shipping smaller packages to consumers and therefore, usually get better shipping rates. In the United States, Puzzle Warehouse is a great option and for Canada, we recommend Puzzles Canada. Thank you for your understanding and we hope to service you in the near future.
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3. Can I have a catalogue mailed to me?See more.
A. At this time, we do not have a flyer to mail out. This is something that we have considered for the future. We are a distributed product line from Outset Media, so our catalogues are mailed to retailers with all of our products from games to puzzles. However, if you would like, you can download an online copy of our puzzle catalogue by CLICKING HERE.
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4. Is your website open to shop?See more.
A. Yes. You can purchase puzzles from us for the US or Canada. However, as we are mainly a wholesaler, we would love it if you supported one of our retailers either locally or online. You can use the "Find A Store" link for both of these options. Thank you!
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5. Do you sell frames for the puzzles?See more.
A. We are so sorry, but we do not sell frames. We have no affiliation with puzzle frame stores, but we have seen customers use Frame It Easy who offer custom frames. You can visit their USA website by CLICKING HERE.
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6. Is there still a minimum order to purchase on the website?See more.
A. At this time, there are no minimums to purchase. This is not a wholesale site, so if you are a retailer, please contact the office directly at 1-877-592-7374 to speak with a sales rep.
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D. Custom Puzzles & Artist Inquiries
1. How can I suggest an image that I'd like to see as a puzzle?See more.
2. How can I submit my photos / artwork for consideration?See more.
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A. Thank you for thinking of us! Please fill out the General Inquiries form and choose the drop down option for "Artist/Image Suggestion". In the comments section, you can include a link to your portfolio. At this time we only license artwork, so please no photography. We apologize, but our Creative Art Director, Allegra, receive a high volume of artist submissions and will only reply to those of interest for our line. We have brought on new artists, like Shelley Davies, who have never had their art turned into a puzzle, so we do keep our eyes open!
Please bear the following in mind - a note from Allegra:
Size matters. Puzzles are big! If your fabulous work of art was created at greeting-card size, it will not look so good at 26.625" x 19.25" (the size of our 1000 piece puzzles). You will need to be able to provide a print ready file that is 300 pixels per inch.
A great puzzle. Great paintings do not necessarily make great puzzles. For instance, I love the work of Edward Hopper, but I cannot think of one of his images that I would want to do as a puzzle. Below is a rough guideline of a successful puzzle - of course, there are exceptions to every rule!
GOOD
- Busy composition.
- Colourful. Different areas in different colours is how most puzzlers sort their pieces.
- Focal point. Easily identified subject.
NOT SO GOOD
- There shouldn't be big boring areas. A vast expanse of water or sky or road should have something breaking up the monotony.
- Too monochromatic. Too dark.
- There is an optimal range for the size of the subject in relation to the total image. For instance on a dog puzzle, a head shot of a dog becomes a portrait of an individual animal and can lack universal appeal. Conversely, if the dog is a small silhouette in a forest, then it is a landscape scene without a main subject.
Do some research. There are many, many companies. And every one has a different range of images aimed at different kinds of retailers. Take a look at different catalogues to see if your work would make a good fit.
Please have patience. I am one person with a lot to do. And I receive many submissions daily.
Private label puzzles. If you are not looking for us to license your work, but to commission a private label printing, or you are an artist looking to have puzzles made that you will sell yourself: please contact www.puzzles-plus.com. We only do print runs over 3,000 copies. Puzzles-Plus does runs of 500.
Hope these thoughts help. Good luck to all,
Allegra Vernon, Creative Director
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3. Do you make custom puzzles for individuals, promotions, or businesses?See more.
A. Sorry, we do not make custom puzzles! We have a brand of puzzles called, "Create Your Own Puzzles", but this is a blank puzzle board with various sized pieces that allow people to draw their own image. We recommend contacting Puzzle Warehouse for custom puzzles. If you are looking to make custom puzzles and sell them, we can investigate with you further, but your minimum order quantity will need to be a minimum of 2,500 puzzles for one single image. During Covid-19, we are not accepting any proposals for doing custom manufacturing. Our demand is incredibly high and the factory is maxed out on its production capabilities at this time. We expect it to be like this for the remainder of 2020. If there are changes, we will update these FAQs. Thank you for thinking of us!
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E. Wholesale Inquiries
1. How can I become a retailer or distributor for Cobble Hill?See more.
A. Thank you! We're excited that you're interested in partnering with Cobble Hill Puzzle Co.! You can fill out our Wholesale Inquiry form and the rep for your area will be in touch. You can find the form by CLICKING HERE.
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2. What countries currently distribute your puzzles?See more.
A. We're excited to be steadily growing our international market. We have many countries around the world and you can see the list by CLICKING HERE.NOTE! We are very interested in expanding into South America and Mexico, so please contact us if you have any recommendations. Thank you!
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3. How long have you been in business?See more.
A. Cobble Hill has been in business since 2005! We're just a teenager when it comes to comparing us to many other reputable puzzle brands like Ravensburger, Piatnik, and White Mountain who have several more decades on us. But, ask around, and we're confident that you'll hear puzzlers praise our quality. Not only that, but we think we have pretty great customer service, too. Read more about us by CLICKING HERE.
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