This weekend’s monthly book clearance sale outside the Tamworth City Library will be a bit of a puzzler too.
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The regular courtyard sale by the Friends of Tamworth Libraries, the support group that raises funds and is a proud volunteer base for the council-run literary operations, has been renamed Jigsaw Day this time around.
Among the thousands of books being cleared from the library shelves for avid readers on Saturday will be more than 80 jigsaw puzzles.
It’s only about the second time the group has rallied jigsaw fans to throw out their old ones, but organisers are hoping it will be a best-seller.
Chief organiser Jan Morris is hoping for a few more to be donated before the Saturday event and says, while they are now often regarded as an often-forgotten recreational pastime, jigsaws still have plenty of proponents and younger followers, too.
Mrs Morris says, for most of us, the memory lingers of homes of grandparents often filled with jigsaw puzzles set up in a semi-permanent display on the living room table.
There’s a thousand-piece one on her table at home, she admits.
She comes from a family of jigsaw puzzle people.
Among the donations this weekend are quite a few from her family shelves, including ones her cousin and grandmother completed.
“Jigsaw Day is a good time to get rid of all your old jigsaws and maybe even replace them with some ‘new’ ones,” Mrs Morris said.
“We had people come along before and go away with arms full of them. We did well with the jigsaw sale day two years ago, so we thought we would try it again.”
Among the puzzles will be plenty of very old ones, some with repaired box covers but many of them in pristine condition.
There’ll be plenty of kids’ ones, lots of landscapes and scenes, and even three- and four-dimensional jigsaws.
As a jigsaw afficionado, Mrs Morris also has tips for learners or the-not-so-high-achievers when it comes to fitting all the pieces in the right places.
“I think the secret is to do the border first and then try to pick out some significant bits, but there’s lots of times when you pick up pieces and have no idea where they go,” she said.
“Most people start with the border, and that contains the picture and then you get an idea of what’s involved. And leave the hard bits like the sky to last.”
The jigsaws will be on sale for between $1 and $4 each.
Donations are still being accepted. They can be left at the Peel St library or by calling Mrs Morris on 6765 9478 to arrange pick-up.
All money raised from the sale will go to the two Tamworth libraries, to support their activities and buy new borrowing materials and equipment.