Jigsaw Puzzle Missing Piece Guide

A complete step by step guide to obtaining that dastardly missing piece!
(last updated 9/30/2010)

If you have even a moderate amount of experience with jigsaw puzzles, you've probably encountered the horror of realizing that your beloved puzzle is nearly complete... all except for a MISSING PIECE! [noooooooooooo!]

Fear Not! -- Follow the instructions below and your chances of finding or replacing the culprit jigsaw puzzle piece will be quite good.


STEP 1 :: The Oh Duh's
It seems silly, but it's so easy to misplace or overlook a missing piece.

• Double, triple, and maybe even quadruple check your box to verify the missing piece isn't in there. It's possible the piece could be stuck in the flap or a corner. It could have happened during production, packaging, or transport.
  
  
• Do a thorough search of the room or any rooms that you have used for opening, constructing, glueing, transporting, storing, or even thinking about the jigsaw puzzle. Check under chairs, inside open garbage cans, between the rug & molding; don't be afraid to scour the surroundings for the missing piece.
  
  
• If you've vacuumed recently, check the vacuum bag or garbage can. If you have pets or small children, then your boundary for scanning and searching is far far wider!
  
  
• It could be a practical joke -- a tricky spouse or a child keen on finishing the puzzle may have absconded with the missing piece in the hopes of laying the final piece. Or, they could simply enjoy rendering you confounded on your hands and knees looking for a tiny piece of cardboard. Either way, don't rule out the possibilty of hijinks.
  
  
• And, lastly, make sure that all of the pieces you've placed so far belong where they are. It's very possible that a piece you've already placed may not actually go there. In that case, you're probably missing a different piece -- not much help here, but it will be important later if you're trying to get the right replacement piece.

STEP 2 :: Catch your breath, and start to accept the possibility that it's... GONE...
So you've looked high and low, here and there, in and out, and you've come up with squat. Don't lose hope, there are several avenues left to locate a replacement piece for your puzzle.

If you believe you've lost a jigsaw puzzle piece and it can't be found, or that your puzzle is defective and the missing piece was never there (quite rare, actually, due to the jigsaw puzzle production process and stringent manufacturer standards, but it does sometimes happen) -- then your best course of action is to contact the manufacturer to see about a replacement piece. This is best for most folks because you've already constructed the puzzle and you know which piece you need. Many popular jigsaw puzzle manufacturers have anticipated that you may need a replacement piece and have therefore created programs to replace individual pieces.

There are some caveats, however. Depending on the manufacturer and the specific puzzle design, it's possible that multiple cutting dies were used to produce the same puzzle design, so, it's possible that pieces from same design will not actually fit your puzzle. Manufacturers often replace or rotate cutting dies for reasons such as service, sharpening, or production availability. If this is the case, you still have some options, though. For example, may just replace your entire puzzle.

Before you continue, determine the following:

Who is the manufacturer of your jigsaw puzzle? (Just check the box.)

Which piece is missing?
On most standard jigsaw puzzles you can simply count from the top, and obtain the the number of rows to your missing piece. Then, count from the left to get the number of columns to your missing piece. You will probably need these coordinates to indicate exactly which piece is missing.

Now, find your manufacturer below in the list and follow the instructions provided:

Manufacturer	What to do...
BriarPatch	Phone: 800-232-7427 Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Buffalo Games	For a defective puzzle* or missing puzzle pieces, follow the instructions below:    1.Cut out UPC code from the box    2.Include one of the puzzle pieces    3.Write the description of the problem on a piece of paper    4.Include your return address    5.Mail to:       Buffalo Games       220 James E. Casey Drive       Buffalo, NY 14206 (Allow 6 to 8 weeks for processing) It's possible they will not ship you back just one piece but will instead issue a replacement of the whole puzzle or a voucher for a free puzzle. *If your puzzle is obviously defective, miscut, or doesn't match the box, AND you purchased your puzzle from SeriousPuzzles.com, contact us and we'll be happy to replace your item directly.
Castorland	Web: goto www.castorland.pl Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Ceaco	For a defective puzzle* or missing puzzle pieces, follow the instructions below:    1.Write your name, complete shipping address, phone # and email address on a plain piece of paper. Also include the puzzle name and item number (found on the side of the box) and include a brief description of the problem.    2.Cut the UPC code from the box.    3.Place the UPC code and info from step 1 in an envelope.    4.Mail to: CEACO Quality Control C/O Edaron, Inc 100 Appleton St. Holyoke, MA 01040 (Allow 6 to 8 weeks for processing) They will usually send you a replacement puzzle but if that puzzle is no longer available, they will send you another product of equal value and size. *If your puzzle is obviously defective, miscut, or doesn't match the box, AND you purchased your puzzle from SeriousPuzzles.com, contact us and we'll be happy to replace your item directly.
Clementoni	Web: www.clementoni.com Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Cobble Hill	Phone: 250-592-7374 Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
CultureNik	Phone: 877-568-7257 Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Educa	Online Piece Replacment Program: Click here to submit a lost piece request.
FX Schmid	See Ravensburger
Great American Puzzle Factory	Online Form For Replacment Parts: Click here to submit a lost piece request.
Geo Puzzle	Phone: 920-475-2002 Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Masterpieces	Phone: 520-741-1315 Web: www.masterpiecesinc.com Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Melissa & Doug	Phone: 800-718-5365 Web: www.melissaanddoug.com Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
New York Puzzle Company	Phone: 580-789-9535 Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Piatnik	Phone: 877-303-1684 Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Ravensburger	Online Customer Service Form: Click here to submit an inquiry. Phone: 800-886-1236 Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Ricordi	Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece. This email address is specifically for missing pieces.
Serendipity	Online Customer Service Form: Click here, to submit an inquiry. Phone: 866-270-0552 Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Springbok	Phone: 816-241-8881 Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
Sunsout	Phone: 866-352-7300 Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece. This email address is specifically for missing pieces.
TDC	Phone: 800-292-7676 Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.
White Mountain	Phone: 800-548-8009 ext. 19 Email: click here to send an email Inquire about obtaining a replacement piece.

STEP 3 :: For SeriousPuzzles.com Customers
If you're having difficulty communicating with a manufacturers or getting a satisfactory solution to your issue in either Step 1 or Step 2, AND you placed your original order for the item with SeriousPuzzles.com, then you may contact us and we will try to provide a proper solution or assist you with replacing the missing piece.

Please be prepared with your order # so that we can locate your order in our system.


STEP 4 :: A not-too-shabby last resort
You're at the end of the line, and there's still a fairly reasonable solution! You can order missing jigsaw puzzle pieces from The Jigsaw Puzzle Doctor^TM. It's a paid service that will actually construct your missing piece! Their prices are extremely reasonable considering how cool the service is. For as little as $9 USD, plus s&h, they'll make your missing piece and send it to you - how neat is that?! [SeriousPuzzles.com is not affiliated with the Jigsaw Doctor]