BOSTON, N.Y. — At one point during the pandemic, there was a global shortage of puzzles. With stay-at-home orders, people gravitated toward the oddly-shaped, yet colorful pieces of cardboard, wood, whatever they preferred to get their hands on. Enter a man from Hamburg, who despite living in the same place, where 40% of puzzles for North America are made, turned a chicken coop into the Puzzle Barn.

It's nestled off of an unassuming road in the town of Boston, a florescent orange puzzle piece leads to a bright green shed with simple instructions on its magenta door.

“I thought I would try and make it as friendly as possible,” Ron Degenfelder, said. “Can you believe it was a chicken coop?” he smiled.

It is certainly hard to believe. Degenfelder’s Puzzle Barn started back in April.

“We were using this for storage, and I have so many puzzles, and what do you do with those puzzles?” Degenfelder asked. “Then I got this crazy idea!”

His inspiration was a mix of Blockbuster and vegetable stands. He still cannot believe people have picked up on his idea. For just $2, you can rent a 1,000 plus piece puzzle. It’s only $1 for puzzles under 1,000 pieces. There’s no set return date, late fees, just an honor system you’ll return them. And, an invitation to say hello.

“If I am home, sometimes I come out just to give them a five-second tour,” Degenfelder said.

Be prepared for a wonderful conversation extending well beyond puzzles and a good laugh. If you have more time, Degenfelder will give you tips on the best jigsaws to get your hands on. This avid puzzler takes pride in his former chicken coop. He places puzzles in plastic bags to ensure he doesn’t live a ‘puzzler’s worst nightmare' again. 

“I cannot place my hands on what puzzle that piece goes to,” Degenfelder said.

The Puzzle Barn has been a work in progress, too. Fellow puzzlers suggested he add shelves to better display the couple hundred boxes.

Degenfelder has picked up quite the following on his Facebook page, even catching the attention of out-of-state folks like Melissa Trunick.

“We started planning a business trip to Upstate New York, and in trying to find the business details, I stumbled across this article of “What’s fun in Upstate New York,” Trunick explained. “And then I was like oh my goodness, The Puzzle Barn.

And per usual, Trunick has a connection to the Buffalo area, even though she lives in Washington State. In high school, Trunick spent time in Attica as an exchange student. She’s always wanted to make her way back.

“I said, “Ok that’s it, we are adding another day to this trip, we have to go meet this guy,” Trunick recalled.

She came bearing gifts, too. A suitcase full of puzzles to donate and told her husband to get out the camera.

“Take photos, because wouldn’t this be neat to have at our house,” she smiled.

That project hasn’t started yet but, there is another in the works. 

“I have a big cardboard box in my garage full of puzzles, and as soon as it is ready to go, it will be shipped,” Trunick said.

“I made an exception and sold her some puzzles,” Degenfelder recalled. “Nice people.”

Needless to say, friendships have been built during a time of social distancing, and an old love restored.

“I always joke I am going to franchise this,” Degenfelder laughed. “I am waiting for someone in the North Towns to pick this idea up.”

So, if you have a vacant chicken coop, or unused shed, you know to call for blueprints.

Degenfelder says you can also donate puzzles. With that donation, you get a free rental.

Doing puzzles wasn't the only hobby folks picked up.

Gardening, baking, writing, crocheting were other activities folks started doing. The American Time Survey released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics took a look at leisure activities in May to December 2019 and 2020.

As you can imagine, TV consumption went way up.

• It occupied the most time in 2020 to around 3.1 hours per day, up 19 minutes compared to 2019. 
• Time spent playing games and using a computer for increased by 10 minutes per day. 
• And, time spent relaxing and thinking increased an average of seven minutes per day in 2020.