PD26 Part 1: New Year, New Products

I'm currently working on a new puzzle project 🧩. I want to do a "Night In" party pack, four puzzles in one box that can be shared with a group. Puzzles not too big so you can station people around a table or room within socializing distance. The piece count would be low enough each puzzle can be completed within an evening, while drinking or gabbing, but high enough to not be considered too simple or childish. I did consider if they should all be the same design or each different. Same it could be more uniformly competitive but I think an advantage of different would be they'd feel more personalized and they could also be used as a multi-pack for someone who doesn't want to do our other 1000pc puzzles. Finished puzzles could be popped into a frame and double as an art piece, just like the larger puzzles.

Meanwhile our vendor is checking in on the feasibility and pricing. I really love working with this vendor even if we take a hit with tariffs. They have 165 piece puzzles that are 8 x 10". Looks like four bags may fit in their standard box. If not, I will need to source boxes elsewhere. Hoping they will so we can one stop shop and keep the same size shipping boxes we already have in stock.

I also was weighing if I should create new art or use existing designs. I think the advantage of existing would be cross selling with our other puzzles, "collect them all!" The Hipster Gnome and Whimsical Sea have been pretty tied in sales and we have at least four corresponding embroidered pieces to flush out the sets (artwork is already copyrighted too). We're thinking, as long as budget allows, of starting with both -then if they sell successfully we can create new art for additional sets.

Of course bc I can't sit still once inspiration hits, I've already set up the art files and mockups using the existing art...