April 2021 CD News

TL;DR:

Puzzles, more (newer) puzzles, new workshop, launching new website this year.

Director’s Cut:

We've had a lot going on lately here at cubicdissection, so I thought I'd take time to release some news and share my thoughts. This post will be a bit more verbose than I usually write; I feel I can express myself better that way, and it's a lot faster than trying to hone clean prose.

Being understaffed for the last six months has caused production issues. We're understaffed because we discovered the hard way that increased production requires a more sophisticated system than pointing fingers and scribbling notes on scrapwood. Building that system has taken a while because, well, it turns out it's a difficult thing to do. That said, I think the worst of our growing pains are over. We just brought on a couple of promising new hires and have created some basic structure and reporting.

These production issues have partially informed our recent decisions on what to release. Being understaffed with new personnel makes mistakes more likely, so we have leaned toward re-releasing fairly "safe" designs. While less exciting for our longtime fans, it allowed us to build up some inventory and provide an opportunity for newer collectors to snag classics at sane prices.

I hope to dive back into the "unknown" of newer (and riskier) designs as our new staff develops their skills. It's looking like ResQ will be ready for the May release. June will bring small batches of some old favorites, a new packing puzzle by the talented Mr. Magyarics, and hopefully a new Fuller box design. By July, I plan on filling the entire production roster with new, unreleased designs.

I tend to be optimistic, and these plans may take longer due to our upcoming move in June and July. Our lease is signed, and the new property is fantastic. I expect us to flourish once settled.

My final bit of news is a project I've been working on for a while: we are launching another website called CDPuzzle.com focused on the broader puzzle market. Jumping into a realm already served by others could be considered hubris, but I have a good reason.

I firmly believe that mechanical puzzles are a force for good. They allow us to develop new intellectual abilities and give us a chance to create order in a chaotic world. I want anyone who desires a puzzle to have the best puzzle possible for their budget. CDP will seek the outliers and the exceptional instead of selling whatever we can get our hands on. In other words, I will not sell a puzzle I do not believe is of good value.

How will we achieve this goal? By listening to our customers. We can not match the combined knowledge of the collecting world. Instead of trying to guess what they want, we will ask. We're building a system to allow our customers to tell us what they desire and offer prizes and discounts to participants. We will use the top results to narrow the field and release those that provide exceptional value. We will not have the best selection; instead, we will select only the best.

I hope that this focus on value, combined with attractive prices and high customer service standards, will better serve the collecting world. The security of diversified revenue will also allow us to take more risks and develop a line of CDP exclusives. These puzzles will revisit our Artisan concept of high-precision, no-frills work to fill the gap between mass-produced and bespoke puzzles.

Thank you for your time and your interest. As I said before, more voices = better decisions; if you have any feedback, please drop me an email!

Cheers,

Eric