What is a Jan van Haasteren Ceaco puzzle?
A Ceaco puzzle is a puzzle published by an American puzzle manufacturer, namely Ceaco. Ceaco is part of Edaron – a company founded in 1974. Ceaco is the second largest puzzle manufacturer in America. In 1, Ceaco will continue together with the Buffalo Games company. Buffalo games is then the largest puzzle manufacturer in America. In practice, Ceaco will continue to exist as a brand and website. I can't find Edaron's website anywhere else.
Ceaco puzzles – the box is different
The box all has different dimensions compared to a normal Jumbo puzzle box of 1000 pieces. The dimensions are 20 centimeters (wide) x 20 centimeters (length) x 8 centimeters (height). For comparison it looks like this, a Ceaco puzzle box of 1000 pieces compared to a Jumbo puzzle box of 1000 pieces.
Ceaco 1000 pieces = 20 centimeters (wide) x 20 centimeters (length) x 8 centimeters (high):
Jumbo 1000 pieces = 37 centimeters (wide) x 27,5 centimeters (length) x 6,5 centimeters (high):
This Ceaco puzzle box of 1000 pieces is also much higher than a normal Jumbo Jan van Haasteren box, because it is 8 centimeters high while a Jumbo puzzle box is 6,5 centimeters high:
In the video below you can see the Ceaco puzzle of 1000 pieces by Jan van Haasteren USA, number 3342-16.
Ceaco puzzles – no poster included!
This is really a loss! With the 1000 piece puzzles from Jumbo there is also no poster in the puzzle box, but the puzzle box is so large that you can use the image on the box as an example. But with the Ceaco puzzles, that image is very small! I have some tips on how to get a poster for a Jan van Haasteren puzzle.
Ceaco puzzles – a piece of paper from team 114 of the Quality Department!
Very nice to see, this paper was in the box with the puzzle pieces:
If you look closely, you will see qc@edaron.com next to the email address, so if you are dissatisfied, you can send a message. Well, I could have done that. Because if you watch one of my videos on this page, you will see that the puzzle at the bottom is not neatly cut out. There is a very white border at the bottom of all the straight pieces of the puzzle. I've never seen that at Jumbo. Have to say, I have another Ceaco puzzle and it also contains the exact same piece of paper, that puzzle was also made by team 114.....
Ceaco puzzles – the shape of the puzzle pieces is different
The puzzle pieces are really very different from what we are used to in the Netherlands. they have very different shapes and they are also very thin. They are therefore also much lighter than the Dutch puzzle pieces from Jumbo.
If you want an example of two puzzle pieces that you really put together differently than the regular Jumbo Dutch puzzle pieces, you can see that with these two:
The special series 'Crowd Pleasers'
Ceaco's "Crowd Pleasers" series is a puzzle series distinguished by its highly detailed and vibrant images. These puzzles often feature humorous and lively scenes with numerous characters and activities. Ceaco has published a total of 28 Jan van Haasteren puzzles in the "Crowd Pleasers" series – all 1000-piece puzzles. The box layout does vary within the "Crowd Pleasers" series. There is one set with numbers 3337-01, 3337-02, and 3337-03. There is a second set with numbers 3342-01 through 3342-24. Finally, there is a 2000-piece Crowd Pleasers puzzle, "Toy Ahoy," with number 3501-14. In total, there are 28 Ceaco puzzles in the 'Crowd Pleasers' series. For example, the puzzle of 'The Candy Factory':
Since these puzzles come from America, These are often rarer puzzles from Jan van Haasteren and if you have them they are worth more than usual.
Various videos about the Ceaco Crowd Pleasers series of puzzles
Photos of all Ceaco Crowd Pleasers puzzles
Below is an overview of all Jan van Haasteren Ceaco Crowd Pleasers puzzles. There are 28 in total, and they are structured as follows:
– 27x puzzles of 1000 pieces
– 1x a puzzle of 2000 pieces (Toy Ahoy)
An overview of all the puzzles with the fronts of the boxes:
An overview of all the puzzles with the backs of the boxes:
An overview of all the puzzles with the sides of the boxes:
Further classification of the series 'Ceaco Crowd Pleasers'
If you look closely at the boxes, you can further categorize the Ceaco Crowd Pleasers puzzles. It goes like this:
| Crowd Pleasers Songs (Set) | Image | Serial Number | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3342-01 to 3342-03 |  | Serie 1 | This is NOT on the sides of the puzzle boxes Issued in 2008 | |
| 3342-04 to 3342-06 |  | Serie 2 | This IS on the sides of the puzzle boxes Issued in 2009 | |
| 3342-07 to 3342-09 |  | Serie 3 | This IS on the sides of the puzzle boxes Issued in 2010 | |
| 3342-10 to 3342-12 |  | Serie 4 | This IS on the sides of the puzzle boxes Issued in 2011 | |
| 3342-13 to 3342-15 |  | Serie 5 | This IS printed on the sides of the puzzle boxes. Released in 2013. However, the next set, numbers 3342-16 through 3342-18, also has Series 5 printed on the side of the boxes. You would expect Series 6 to be there. | |
| 3342-16 to 3342-18 |  | Serie 5 | This IS stated on the sides of the puzzle boxes. Issued in 2014. This almost certainly seems like an error, as "Series 6" is missing from this Crowd Pleasers series. Given the numbering, the set with numbers 3342-16 through 3342-18 should be "Series 6." | |
| 3342-19 to 3342-21 |  | Serie 7 | This IS stated on the sides of the puzzle boxes. Released in 2019. It makes sense that this would be "Series 7," but the set with numbers 3342-16 through 3342-18 should be "Series 6." | |
| 3342-22 to 3342-24 |  | Serie 8 | This IS stated on the sides of the puzzle boxes. Released in 2016. |
A) Crowd Pleasers numbers 3337-01 to 3337-03 AND 3342-01 to 3342-03
These six boxes are all taller than the other boxes. You could consider the puzzle boxes numbered 3342-01 through 3342-03 as "SERIES 1," but that's not what it says on these boxes! These are all puzzles with a puzzle box and a lid. All six of these puzzles were released in 2008.
This is the series of puzzles 3337-01 through 3337-03:
This is the series of puzzles 3342-01 through 3342-03 ('Series 1'):
And then there are the images of the entire series, numbers 3337-01 through 3337-03 and 3342-01 through 3342-03. Of course, the two puzzles "On Thin Ice," which appear twice in this set, are particularly striking. The question then remains: why the same puzzle twice?
B) Crowd Pleasers numbers 3342-04 through 3342-06
These boxes are marked "SERIES2" on the side. All three of these puzzles were released in 2009. These puzzles don't have a box or lid; you open the box by using the tear-off strip from the top. This is the set of boxes:
C) Crowd Pleasers numbers 3342-07 through 3342-09
These boxes are marked "SERIES3" on the side. All three of these puzzles were released in 2010. These puzzles don't have a box or lid; you open the box by using the tear-off strip from the top. This is the set of boxes:
D) Crowd Pleasers numbers 3342-10 through 3342-12
These boxes are marked "SERIES4" on the side. All three of these puzzles were released in 2011. These puzzles don't have a box or lid; you open the box by using the tear-off strip from the top. This is the set of boxes:
E) Crowd Pleasers numbers 3342-13 through 3342-15
These boxes are marked "SERIES 5" on the side. All three of these puzzles were released in 2013. These puzzles don't have a box or lid; you open the box by using the tear-off strip from the top. This is the set of boxes:
F) Crowd Pleasers numbers 3342-16 through 3342-18
The sides of these boxes are marked "SERIES 5." These are tall boxes and are all blue. These three puzzles were all released in 2014. They all have a puzzle box and a puzzle lid.
G) Crowd Pleasers numbers 3342-19 through 3342-21
These boxes are marked "SERIES7" on the side. These three puzzles were all released in 2019. All three boxes are blue. They all have a lid and a box.
H) Crowd Pleasers numbers 3342-22 through 3342-24
These boxes are marked "SERIES8" on the side. However, these are all puzzle boxes, meaning you open and close them with a lid. There is no tear-open strip. These three puzzles were all released in 2016.
The special series 'Cartoon Capers'
'Cartoon Capers' series is a special series of puzzles made by Ceaco. This series is characterized by vibrant, colorful images with a cartoonish theme. The images are often playful and humorous, and may include scenes from everyday life or imaginative situations. The style of these puzzles is typically over-the-top and detailed, providing an extra challenge for puzzle enthusiasts. You can clearly recognize these puzzles by the large letters on the front of the puzzle box with 'Cartoon Capers'. These puzzles by Jan van Haasteren with Cartoon Capers have only been published in 550 pieces and thus form an entire series. 15 puzzles have been published in this series and the numbers run from 2371-01 to 2371-15.
As an example, see this puzzle:
Since these puzzles come from America, These are often rarer puzzles from Jan van Haasteren and if you have them they are worth more than usual.
Various videos about the Ceaco Cartoon Capers puzzle series
Photos of all Ceaco Cartoon Capers puzzles
The three photos below show all the Ceaco Cartoon Capers puzzles, including the other 550-piece Ceaco puzzles. There are 18 Ceaco 550-piece puzzles in total:
- 15x Ceaco Cartoon Capers Puzzles,
- 1x USA Perfect Piece Count (Number 20021) en
– 2x Snowman Gifts puzzles (Santa's Factory number 2316-01 en Christmas number 2316-02)
All Ceaco Cartoon Capers puzzles of 550 pieces (15 Pieces):
All Ceaco 550-piece puzzles with box fronts:
All Ceaco 550-piece puzzles with box sides:
Another image of all the Ceaco Cartoon Capers puzzles, featuring the flat boxes numbered 2371-04 through 2371-12 (the "9 flatter boxes"). Look closely at the layout of the boxes, and you'll quickly see that there are several sets of puzzles that belong together:
Further classification of the series 'Ceaco Cartoon Capers'
If you look closely at the boxes, you can further categorize the Ceaco Cartoon Capers puzzles. It goes like this.
A) Cartoon Capers numbers 2371-01 through 2371-03
A distinctive feature of this Cartoon Capers set is that these three boxes are taller than all other boxes in the Cartoon Capers series. These three were all released in 2008. This puzzle box consists of a lid and a box. This is the set of boxes:
B) Cartoon Capers numbers 2371-04 through 2371-06
A distinctive feature of this Cartoon Capers set is that the puzzle name isn't printed anywhere on the box, neither on the back, front, or side of the puzzle box. This set of boxes is labeled "Series 2." These three boxes were released in 2010. These puzzles don't have a box or lid; you open the box by using the tear-off strip from the top. This is the set of boxes:
C) Cartoon Capers numbers 2371-07 through 2371-09
This set of three all has the same layout on the back of the box, with only a picture of the puzzle inside, and the name of the puzzle above the top right corner of the puzzle picture. The side of these three boxes also says "Series 3." These three boxes were released in 2010. These puzzles don't have a box and lid; you open the box by using the tear-off strip from the top. This is the set of boxes:
D) Cartoon Capers numbers 2371-10 through 2371-12
This set of boxes looks different from the side and all have the same thing on the side: a colored stripe. It doesn't say "Jigsaw puzzle," nor does it say "18% less packaging, same size puzzle" on the side of the box. The backs of these three boxes are also identical: the name of the puzzle is above the left side of the image, and "Jan van Haasteren" is written in large black letters below the image on the right. These three boxes were released in 2012. These puzzles don't have a box and lid; you open the box by using the tear-off strip from the top. This is the set of boxes:
E) Cartoon Capers numbers 2371-13 through 2371-15
This set of boxes is clearly different from all other Cartoon Capers puzzles, as they are all blue. These three boxes were released in 2013. This puzzle box consists of a lid and a box. These three Ceaco puzzles were released in the Netherlands by Kruidvat! Because of Kruidvat's release, you'll also notice that these three are the least rare and are often seen on Marktplaats. That's this set of boxes:
Ceaco puzzles by Jan van Haasteren – Snowman Gifts series
The Snowman Gifts series is a unique collection featuring puzzle boxes designed with a Christmas theme. The front of both boxes features a beautiful Christmas bow. And of course, these two puzzles have a Christmas theme! These two beautiful pieces are a must-have for any collector. Both were released in 2016. The sides of these two puzzle boxes are marked "Series 1."
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 550 | 2316-01 | The Santa Claus Factory (Ceaco – Snowman Gifts) | Santa's Factory (Ceaco - Snowman Gifts) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2016 | |
 | 550 | 2316-02 | Christmas (Ceaco – Snowman Gifts) | Christmas (Ceaco - Snowman gifts) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2016 |
Ceaco puzzles by Jan van Haasteren – 'Perfect Piece Count' series
Ceaco was founded in 1974 and will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2017. Ceaco is celebrating this with several exciting promotions. One of the programs they offered in 2017 is the "Custom Puzzle Program." During this program, people could have their own puzzle made with 300, 550, 750, 1000, or 1500 pieces. They could then choose their own puzzle, which was then presented in beautiful gift packaging. These truly unique puzzles are a hot item for collectors, as these are unique pieces of which only one has been released. Note: the puzzle drawings are not rare and are usually also released in puzzles with different piece counts. On the front of the box, you'll see "Perfect Piece Count." This is the official name, and it fell within Ceaco's promotion or program called the "Custom Puzzle Program." The side of the box always displays the edition number (for example, "item #50021"), which corresponds to the special edition of that puzzle. The numbering of these "Perfect Piece Count" puzzles is logical. The first three digits indicate the number of pieces:
– 100: 300 pieces
– 200: 550 pieces
– 300: 750 pieces
– 400: 1000 pieces
– 500: 1500 pieces
The next two digits are the drawing number. The highest drawing number known to date (February 2026) is number 25. So there are already at least 25 different drawings in the 'Perfect Piece Count' series. Of these, only one is known to be by Jan van Haasteren, namely USA. As an example, the number on the side of a puzzle is 'item#50021': 500 represents 1500 pieces, and 21 is the drawing number for 'USA' by Jan van Haasteren. You'll also see the Jumbo logo on these boxes. The backs of these boxes feature the familiar Ceaco markings you see on other boxes, including "Made in the USA" and several familiar Ceaco symbols. The two Jan van Haasteren puzzles in the 'Perfect Piece Count' series are these two—both released in 2017, the year Ceaco celebrated its 40th anniversary:
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 300 | 10021 | USA (Ceaco – Perfect Piece Count) | USA (Ceaco - Perfect Piece Count) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2017 |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 550 | 20021 | USA (Ceaco – Perfect Piece Count) | USA (Ceaco - Perfect Piece Count) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2017 |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1500 | 50021 | USA (Ceaco – Perfect Piece Count) | USA (Ceaco - Perfect Piece Count) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2017 |
Other Ceaco puzzles by Jan van Haasteren
Finally, there is/are Ceaco puzzles that do not fall into the 'Cartoon Capers' or 'Crowd Pleasers' series. These are the following Jan van Haasteren Ceaco puzzles:
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 3-in-1 | 3576-1 | Carnival (+ 2 from other artist) – (Ceaco – Toons) | Carnival (+ 2 from other artist) - (Ceaco - Toons) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2010 |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4-in-1 | 3664-1 | 4 x 500 Carnival | Farm visit | Fun Under Water | The office | 4x500 Carnival | Farm Visit | Deep Sea Fun | The Office | Jan van Haasteren | Unknown |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 750 | 2986-3 | Christmas or Holiday Laughs – (Ceaco Edition) | Christmas of Holiday Laughs - (Ceaco Edition) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2011 |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1500 | 3401-22 | Farm visit (Ceaco edition) | The Farm (Ceaco Edition) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2014 |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1500 | 3401-34 | The Kitchen (Ceaco Edition) | The Kitchen (Ceaco Edition) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2016 |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1500 | 3401-39 | Fun Under Water (Ceaco Edition) | Undersea Fun (Ceaco Edition) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2017 |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1500 | 3401-12 | The Harbor (Ceaco Edition) | Crazy Harbor (Ceaco Edition) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2010 |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1500 | 3401-16 | On the Beach (Ceaco Edition) | At the Beach (Ceaco Edition) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2012 |
| Image | Number of pieces | Box No. | Name Dutch | Name English | Brand | years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2000 | 80952 | The Neighbors (Ceaco Special) | Neighbors (Special Ceaco) | Ceaco / Jan van Haasteren | 2013 |
Ceaco and more about this company
Ceaco as a company was founded in 1987 and currently has 48 employees (dated October 2022). The head office is located in Newton in the United States (Massachusetts). I looked it up in Google Streetview and this is how the address is displayed:
Op their own website virtually no information is given about the company Ceaco.
Lots of Ceaco puzzles in a video by Jan van Haasteren
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