A few times a year, we select a group of puzzles from our rental library and put them on sale at a discounted price. We refer to these as Retired Puzzles. Some have been rented and assembled a few times through our rental program, and some are brand new. Here's some explanations of the questions we most often receive about Retired Puzzles.Â
Why Do We Retire Puzzles?Â
More new Puzzles to Rent!
We want folks to love the puzzles in our rental library, and we want to update the collection as often as we can. If a puzzle has been in the library for a while without being rented, we “retire” it so we can replace it with something fresh.
Artwork Licensing Agreements
Our art is contracted and licensed with each artist for a set period of time. When that license expires, per our agreement, we need to sell the puzzle within a certain timeframe. We pull those puzzles from our shelves and offer them in the retired section.Â
Wear and Tear
The quality of our rental puzzles is incredibly important to us. We want the families and puzzlers who rent our puzzles to get the best possible experience. We inspect every rental puzzle when it is returned and make repairs when needed. When a puzzle gets a little too loved, we’ll retire it from the library. These puzzles typically have a bit of lifting paper, chips on the back, box damage, or something equally as minor. Â
Missing/Significantly Damaged Pieces
Accidents happen! Sometimes a piece gets lost or significantly damaged (those puppies really seem to love our pieces) and while we can sometimes repair or even make replacement pieces, after a few times, it’s just time to pull it off the shelf. This sort of damage is always noted on the puzzle listing.Â
How Do We Price Retired Puzzles?Â
To price a retired puzzle we consider many factors such as how many times it has been rented, how long it has been in the library, how popular the artwork is, and, of course, any wear and tear. We also now add an additional discount if the puzzle uses older materials.Â
When are Retired Puzzle Sales?
We tend to have a “Retired Puzzle Sale” twice a year in Spring and Fall.
Are there any Additional Discounts to Retired Puzzles?Â
As a membership perk, Elms Club Members receive a 15% discount in addition to any Retired Puzzle’s reduced price.Â