This post is about plastic 3D jigsaw puzzles that I received for my birthday and fathersday. My thanks of course go to the family members who donated them.

Now I must confess that I dont like jigsaws puzzles. One reasons is they are way too common for my taste. Another reason is that they do not tax my brain enough: it needs diligent work, but not hard work.
But when it comes to 3D puzzles, the borderline becomes fuzzy. Ravensburg has published 3D jigsaw puzzles for I estimate over a decade. All pieces look like ordinary pieces, except they are thicker, so you can build walls and roofs with them.

On the other end of the 3d spectrum are the Japanese kumiki puzles, often beautifully made of wood, and representing several types of buildings, animals, fruit and other objects.

Somewhere in between are the plastic 3D jigsaw puzzles. I discovered them on the web, as produced by Kimzel Gmbh in Germany. They have a series of about 40 models. I ordered mine through Moenen and Mariken. This shop is in Dutch, and I can recommend their service, which was excellent.
If you live in the USA, you can order them from Amazon, where they are marketed by BePuzzled.

The number of pieces varies greatly. I have an apple of 13 pices, several of 46 pieces, and I have seen some of 90-100 pieces. Despite their name, they are not really crystal, but a sturdy plastic that looks like it. The copyright belongs to Beverley Enterprises Inc. & Jeruel Ind Co Ltd. The latter is a China based Toys and Puzzle producer, and the puzzles are produced in China. The pieces fit together really well. I guess the plastic does make them affordable, prices range from 3-20 euros.