This winter, a completed 40,320-piece jigsaw puzzle will be on display in Kaniva. “Mickey Through the Years” is confirmed by Guinness World Records as the largest commercially made puzzle in the world, both in number of pieces and overall size. The Kaniva Puppet shop stocks one of the largest ranges of jigsaws in Australia and as such Ravensburg offered the completed puzzle as a window display showpiece to the shop.

The puzzle features scrapbook memorabilia throughout Mickey’s amazing 90-year history. Other scenes from the “Mickey Through The Years” puzzle include the creation of the Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s, the 1983 Mickey’s Christmas Carol and more. The final scene is a new sketch of Mickey and the gang made for the puzzle.

The shop also stocks “Disney Memorable Moments”, a 40,320-piece puzzle. The jigsaw showcases 10 scenes from the most popular Disney films and will take you on a little journey through time from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937 to “The Lion King” in 1994. The puzzle comes in 10 bags and then interlocks together as one piece. According to Ravensburg, the average completion time is around 600 hours, however, the current Guinness World Record holder for completing the puzzle is by American Maxine Olive who completed it in 150 hours. The puzzle measures nearly 7 mts by 2 mts and is on display until mid – July.

Proprietor Julie Finch is excited about it. “I’ve always loved jigsaws; they are a great pastime and something you can do with the family.” The puzzle is by Ravensburg, a company established in 1891 and known for its quality and attention to detail. Jigsaws enjoyed a revival during the pandemic and the renewed interest in puzzles is still continuing on. Julie does not have an online shop, instead, a regular stream of loyal customers from Melbourne and Adelaide make Kaniva Puppet Shop their stop. The hardest part is deciding which puzzle to buy.

This article appeared in the  Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times, 14 June 2023.