Not rare, not high priced, doesn't fit into any other previous thread so I thought I would start a "look what Rox found this week"



top row: Mf8 Teraminx, Black Fisher's cube, Rubik's Challenge (I.T.C. 1982) Sheng En 3x3x3 black and white (I love the hologram and the way that guys face turns into a cube when you rotate the package)

middle row: now broken C4Y gigaminx (I've had this for ages but just put it together so I guess it doesn't count), KO crazy 2x3x3 (the one I broke in that shop-it was so loose, it just fell to pieces-don't waste your money on the cheap ones) black and white crazy 2x3x3, blue Guo Jia 3x3x3 Diamond

bottom row: Smaz's castle cube (have I posted this before?), C4Y 3x3x5, handmade domino with Jewels on it (from qj 2x3x3 black and white-stickering is correct), red Guo Jia 3x3x3 Diamond.

Another update will most likely come next week unless no new cubes come out (Of course I could add my ebay purchases that will be here by Wednesday)

What do you think about crazy domino? is it fun or crap

Honestly, the KO is fantastic junk
The crazy 2x3x3 is ok, not nearly as good as Smaz's. Smaz's has the Luuuvve

It turns ok. A bit tight, but That is so much better than the one that falls apart. The only thing I find odd is the black one only has the logo on the center sticker, the white one has the logo plus DaYan written on it.

I think it's a fun puzzle. I was impressed with the crazy 4x4x4 when I first saw it back in summer, and I am no less impressed with this one. It's tricky to solve. That makes it more challenging than the domino's. I would give it a thumbs up.

Nice. I ordered the original black crazy 2x3x3 from Smaz a couple of days ago, too. And I got my black Fisher cube from Mefferts today. That makes me a little less green with envy

But that domino looks fantastic. Where can you get stones like that? I've been meaning to make one for a while now but I couldn't find appropriate stickers. I suppose I could pick up one of those Smaz is selling, but part of the fun in making it yourself and I already have the extra 2x2x3. And a lot of studying to do, but nevermind that, right

Funny you should ask. I just happened to have taken a picture on my phone when I was making it the other day. (bored during IELTS exams) Tough choice, crossword or puzzle



As you can see, It's nothing special. The white one has the center cap under the one without the label, the black center cap is under the label.

The sticker jewels-a dime a dozen here. You can also order them from oriental trading ( http://www.orientaltrading.com ) . I've gotten loads for Katherine to use for her artworks. Around $5 for 100 or so multi-colored jewels. They can be easily cut apart and have adhesive on the back. Very easy to work with. Since I was making this one for the bug, cheap jewels did the trick!

That's cheating! I thought you've found the way to stick real Swarowski stones to the cube without making a mess. Now that I think of it, I've seen those cell phone stickers at a store downtown. I'll have to go check them out then.

I wasn't cheating, I was being cheaply creative

Try these and these

As for glue, these work pretty well too. You just cut them to the size you need. cheaply creative!

What kind of crossword is that? The arrows coming out of the squares are going in all four directions... is it in Chinese? I can't tell.

(Yes, I love pencil puzzles, so this kind of thing gets me curious. )

This is a great thread! I love it. Makes me jealous tho. Kinda like the first time I saw Georges' collection.

Great thread. I was thinking about doing the same thing to my white 2x3x3 but with black vinyl Looks fantastic.

I noticed that you have two different color 3x3x3 Diamonds. Have you seen any in just black or white yet?

I look forward to the next update.

The best way to do the dots on the domino is to punch holes on a piece of paper to have a template, and put the paper on the cube and spray paint.

Diamonds are in red and blue only so far as I know. I haven't seen any other colors.

I jut got a box today with 5 puzzles, but the week is young so I'll wait until next monday.

Rox, great thread but how in the world do you manage to constantly buy so many puzzles!?!?! It's just amazing how much money "can be" and "is" spent on puzzles I just wonder how you do it lol

I work for a living Seriously, I have a monthly puzzle budget. Some months I get more some months less. I also do a lot of hunting for bargains. Know a few people.....you know the drill.

No seriously, what kind is it?

I'd like to know as well. Upon closer inspection, it seems the clues are in the gray boxes, and the arrows point in all directions. I've never seen this type of crossword before.

The clues are in the grey boxes. it's just a regular crossword otherwise. Levett's crossword magazine I think. Can't remember. Dell does them as well. You know the kind you pick up at the tellers in the grocery stores

Thanks for responding so quickly, Rox.

For anyone else who was wondering, it is a clues-in-square or Swedish-style crossword. Here's a description from Wikipedia.

Yeah, I saw that it was "Swedish Style", so I was mostly wondering whether it was some special type because some of the clues go up or to the right.

Well, it's Monday again and since I was just talking with the Dr. about showing off I figured I might as well......

This weeks "finds"



Top row: Fisher's Nesting Cubes, Oskar's Tri-Gears
Middle row: Unknown maker slide puzzle raised dots on each of the 3 pieces, Rubik's Revenge-Korea, Disney candy puzzle, Jacob's Ladder (Cracker Barrel)
Bottom Row: Educator's Tangle, Disney candy puzzle, Dairy Queen the "Kube"

Now I guess I could say that some of these are "rare" The DQ cube doesn't come up too often, but often enough-the rarity was the price. The 4x4x4 is one I've been looking for for a while-only Singapore and Macau to find now. Tri-Gears courtesy of Jason. Tony's nesting cubes, well, my pay raise went through sooner than I expected it to!

Oh wow, I had a giant tangle when I was a kid! I loved it!

I'm nostalgiaing hard

I'll dig out all "the annual tangles" over CNY and take a picture just for you. It'll either make you laugh or cry. I have 5 of them hanging off a glen livet bottle next to my desk. There must be at least another 10 out in the boxes!

lol, you just kind of "found" that nesting cube? where do they happen to sell them

Yep! I found it on Tony's post. He said he was selling one!

Thanks! I can't Wait

My back pack has been full twice this week-Thursday and Tonight. I'm not waiting until Monday to post this because, well I'm just so excited about all I got.



Top Row: QJ Heart to heart green, blue, YJ Glow in the dark 7,

Second Row: 12 Color Meffert's Skewb Ultimate black, 6 Color Meffert's Skewb Ultimate Black florescent labels, 6 Color Meffert's Skewb Ultimate White florescent labels, MF (Maw fong is how it sounds) Type F, DY black corner turning octahedron black, DY White corner turning Octahedron

Third Row: 12 Color Meffert's Skewb Ultimate White, The flip side, 6 color Meffert's skewb black florescent labels, 6 color Meffert's skewb white florescent labels, 8 color Meffert's Skewb Diamond White, 8 color Meffert's Skewb Diamond black, 8 color transparent Skewb Diamond KO-LL

Fourth Row: LL 4x4 (Rubik's type core), C4Y black 3x3x5, Korean heart cube, Korean teddy bear cube, LL Sample Skewb, C4Y Black Teraminx, QJ Black domino

Fifth Row: LL Dumpling solid centers-colored tips, LL Dumpling white centers-white tips, LL Dumpling solid centers-white tips, LL Dumpling solid centers-black tips, LL Dumpling black centers-black tips, LL Dumpling solid centers-black tips, Guo Jia transparent diamond

Sixth Row: Black Beddard 1x2x3, White Beddard 1x2x3, red steel apple, gold steel apple, green steel apple

Where do you get those apple things? They look awesome and I want to get some.

Alex

One of our favorite builders is selling them on eBay.

LOL! The apple reminded me of the night when you presented it at the restaurant
with the... jumping girl! (long story... and my God, I couldn't stop laughing that night!)




Pantazis

What! What! What! You have TOO much money. How can you get all of that!

that's better than my whole collection!!!
Do you ever get around to using them?
Oh to have your collection

I can't find them..........am I just being an idiot?

Also, are they 'affordable' (for a 15 year old who has a lot of puzzles to buy)? I really want one, they look amazing.

Are they the same ones as here?



Alex

I went out on a mission today and didn't quite accomplish what I set out to do. It seems the fake sellers are getting smart and not including packaging or company names/logos on their products now.



The QJ megaminx is just plain silly in it's packaging. Pictures of a 3x3x3 all over it. I guess people will buy it that way...maybe they think it is the same?

The DS 4x4x4 I had a copy of and gave to my niece at Christmas-she had never seen one before! Her collection (courtesy of her aunt) would put many of yours to shame, and I was just blown away that she didn't have a 4x4x4.

The Jings Pyraminx is made by DS. But no logos, no packaging, no proof.

Ben 10-I've been looking for him for over a year!

The last one is a very poorly stickered mini Guo Jai cube. Same size as the mini DS.

Now these puzzles set me back around HK$200. Not too expensive, but not my regular cheap purchases either. I went to a different place because I knew they had the KO Pyraminx there and ended up paying higher prices. The guy originally wanted HK$250 for it, but when I threatened with calling the police because he was selling copied goods (showed him Meffert's card-and kind of fibbed about who the owner of the company was ) He gave me the lot for a lower price. Too bad he wouldn't give me a receipt, but by that time I think he knew what I was up to!

And all that means is that I need to go find another one with packaging, get a receipt and a photo of the shop selling it. Danged Lawyers and their proof.

With everything else I've been up to this past few weeks, puzzle hunting has not been on my list of priorities. I haven't gone out once to even look. But that hasn't stopped me from searching the auction sites when I've had enough reading. So this week I'll give you a photo of my recent auction purchases.



The only surprise in this bunch was the Meffert's megaminx. I guess the guy just decided to throw it in because I don't remember bidding on it. That and the mad marbles. I've been hunting them for years and always seem to loose. Suddenly, I found myself the owner of two of them.

RoboticFresca, I didn't have the time and the weather was just too cold at CNY to go out on the balcony to get those tangle photos, but there was a big shock inside the box that came for me today. So I'm adding a photo of it here just for you. I'm sure it will bring back a few memories. Those big ones are long-about 1 foot across when coiled up! And here I thought I was getting the middle sized version of it.



Th left one is brass and gold colored and very very heavy, the long serpentine one is black and silver and lighter in weight. The long gold one in the front is really 2 of them together and makes a great bracelet. The orange and purple is the annual tangle for 2010, and the multi colored one was a gift from Mr. Tangle.

Isn't that the case for many puzzles? (and sometimes, there can be a *lot* more than two!!!)




Pantazis

Rox, what do the tangles actually do?

Nothing. They're just fun to twist around.

Alex

A Tangle™ is a series of 20 plastic pieces consisting of 90-degree curves, connected together by a ball joint. It is able to pivot at each joint. The Tangle™ is in the form of a continuous loop, but can be dismantled into individual pieces.*

It twists and turns. For me it has always been the "annual tangle" Pretty much a joke because of the large number of them I have. But this year, I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Tangle-I think he was irritating the guys a bit-and after a bit of conversation, I was able to discover a direction for my study. So for me, (Now anyway, and for the next 3-5 years) the Tangle™ is as much a part of my life as my puzzles. I don't go anywhere without one now.

What does it do? I'm hoping to that to a statistically significant degree that it improves retention and recall of information amongst Chinese learners of English across the age and academic spectrum. Clinical studies begin in September with elementary school students, the following year is High School, and the year after that is University. This is seminal research guys-cutting edge stuff. Basically, I'm going to give all of you a reason that you can bring your teachers so you can play with toys in class! Now how cool is that?





*If anyone can give mme a better definition than the one I have created, I would greatly appreciate it!

I once got a Tangle junior as a prize for something I did in school. I still have it, but the pieces broke. There's now only 12 pieces.
It was fun to play around with.

Let me put it this way: If you ever meet Mr Tangle, your life will never be the same again!!!
Well, I believe he is a *great* guy, *very* open minded for some to handle LOL
In fact, some of the funniest moments I had in Hong Kong, were initiated by him!

For example, during some conversation (long story) where I told him "I will assassinate him",
he responded: "You can't kill a good cockroach"!!! I mean, I was speechless, respect for that guy!
(Later, he took his revenge, by checking out how athletic I was... another long story!)




Pantazis

Aha, so now you have two Rubik's Cylinders )

Rox, how does the quality of that KO pyraminx compare to the original? Also, what is that translucent skewb diamond like?

Shame on you! <smacking your hand>

She has an all encompassing collection. That was something she didn't have. No shame there. She collects all cubes, from all companies, in all variations (That she likes xD).

I two can admit to having knowingly getting a KO for my collection but a KO V-Cube is not a thing you should brag about getting. I know I'm not the only one here thinking this.
But please do not let us make this into yet another KO thread.

Understood, but I don't think she was bragging. Just sharing the new types she got. The KO thing is a big controversy, but it pretty much just boils down to don't get it if you are not in favor of them. She didn't post anything but a picture. No info on buying it, nothing. So it's a clean post.

Rox gets these in china and comes on the forums to tell us how bad they are compared to quality puzzles.

There's no harm in Rox buying them, trust me.

Sans lubrication, there is only one ko puzzle i have found that is of equal quality to the original. And it isn't one of those V-KO's.

You all can say all you want about my purchasing KO's and chastise and shame me until the cow's come home, but until you start spending your own money to purchaser these AND SEND THEM TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGNERS-so they know what is out there, and so they can dismantle them and send it on to their lawyers for litigation, I would like to ask that you keep your thoughts to yourself!

I spend as much money sending to the designers as I do on my own collection. You all complain about the cost of puzzles-well, start spending double on what you would normally spend and only see 1/2 of that in your collection-then you can start to chastise me!

A lot of the 'older' members of the forum have known I've been doing this for a while-I'm really getting sick of the kids telling me I'm doing wrong without knowing what I've been doing. If you don't like my pictures-go do the shopping and mailing yourself.

Yes, I'm a bit miffed. This thread was posted ages ago, why bring it back up now? Seems like someone wants to have something to post and can't think of anything else


*EDIT* I'll add to this that I have an original of every puzzle in my collection with the exception of the V-9 and V-11 (they haven't been released yet) But you can bet your last dollar that when they are, I'll have those too!

I really feel like saying "go stuff yourself" but I'm too much of a lady to do that, so just consider it thought!

So what have you found THIS week Rox?

I've found that you cannot replicate a study because there are too many external variables that can't be accounted for when reading the original study!

I've discovered that even when replicating your own study, you won't get the same results because internal validity can be affected by the mood you are in that day

Sorry guys, no puzzle hunting this week-I've been hitting the books. Way to much writing to get done in too short a period of time. I was doing good to be able to take that day off to go over to the Tangle offices (although, that was related to my studies and work) and to have those photographers come over that day.

I'm off now to go hit the books again. I need to run all over town visiting libraries to get my inter-university card activated at each university I have online access to all of them, but ONLY AFTER I go into each library to get approval. I know HK is a small city geographically, but the way the transport systems work, unless i cab it, it's at least an hour between each campus! And there goes another 2 or 3 days!