Welcome to the AGPC!The Association of Game & Puzzle Collectors (AGPC), founded in 1985 by Bruce Whitehill, is the world's foremost organization dedicated to the collection and preservation of games and puzzles. As an international, nonprofit association, the AGPC is chartered to conduct research and explore the history of games and puzzles from ancient times up to the present, and to disseminate information about games and puzzles to the broadest audience possible, including the general public, the media, libraries, museums, scholars, and others. Games and puzzles offer a remarkable view of our cultural past and future! Read more... Sam Loyd Award Presented to Kagen SchaeferAt our 25th anniversary convention in Providence, Rhode Island, on 24 April 2009, the AGPC presented the Sam Loyd Award for mechanical puzzle excellence to puzzle designer Kagen Schaefer.
It is my great pleasure to present this year’s Sam Loyd Award to Kagen Schaefer, puzzle designer and craftsman extraordinaire. Kagen grew up in mountainous Colorado. He attended Colorado College and received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, with honors, in 2000. But he was interested in puzzles long before he studied math in college. He has spent quite a bit of time drawing mazes ever since he was in kindergarten. He used to challenge his dad to solve the mazes that he drew. His dad would always find some slightly broken line that he did not draw accurately enough and sneak through it to solve the maze too easily. Kagen kept trying to draw better and cleaner mazes. He made his first puzzle box from cardboard when he was about 12 years old. He discovered that he could use an exacto knife and school glue to make puzzle boxes with hidden moves. He tried to practice good craftsmanship even at a very early age. He first sold a copy of the Pinwheel Puzzle Box to a patron in 2000. He was only making an occasional box in the school woodshop at the time, but he thought that it was cool that he could sell the puzzles that he made. In 2002 he started to make commercial editions of his puzzles. Kagen discovered the Karakuri Creation Group in 2004 when he visited Tokyo to attend the International Puzzle Party. Since then the Japanese style of puzzle boxes has been the most influential in his work. Akio Kamei's work and the Karakuri Creation Group's beautiful pieces have been a huge inspiration to him in many ways. In the last 7 years he has designed and made thirty different puzzle boxes and three different pieces of puzzle furniture. When I asked Kagen to pick his favorite of the thirty puzzle boxes that he has designed, he said, “It is so difficult to pick a favorite. I like each of them for such different reasons. However, I guess that the Pinwheel box is my favorite, since it was one of my first pieces.” When asked about his future plans, he said, “It looks like I'll keep making puzzles. It's too much fun!” Kagen’s website describes his philosophy:
For a puzzle designer and craftsman who has only been selling his puzzles for 7 years, his accomplishments are amazing: These are his awards at IPPs: 2002 Block Box IPP 22 Puzzler’s Award & 1st Place IPP Design Competitions: 8 It gives me great pleasure to present the Fourth AGPC Sam Loyd Award to Kagen Schaefer for Bringing Art, Mathematics and Craftsmanship Together and Creating a Portfolio of World Renowned Mechanical PuzzlesFind out more about mechanical puzzles! Check out the Slocum Puzzle Collection at Indiana University's Lilly Library. |
Register Now for the 2010 AGPC Annual Convention!
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Jerry Slocum presented the Sam Loyd Award to Kagen Schaefer on behalf of the AGPC. Here are Jerry's words:
During the two-days at sea, we will hold all the normal convention sessions and meetings. We will also have a game and puzzle room set up, just as we would at a hotel. We will also have the sale and auction. And you’ll still have time to enjoy the shipboard activities. 
This truly will be an exciting event for our group and promises to be one of our best conventions yet! Plan to bring the family! Just some of the ship’s highlights include special age-appropriate kid activities (Adventure Ocean), an ice skating rink, 9-hole 
in Belize, highlighting the ancient ball courts.
| CABIN TYPE | INSIDE CABIN |
WINDOW |
BALCONY CABIN |
| single | $1,353.00 | $1,533.00 | $1,733.00 |
| double | $1,726.00 | $1,906.00 | $2,106.00 |
| family of 3* | $2,461.50 | $2,641.50 | $2,841.50 |
| family of 4* | $3,197.00 | $3,377.00 | $3,577.00 |
* Family rate allows you to add up to 2 children (18 years and under) in the same room at a reduced rate.
Additional Fees:
- For registrations before August 28, 2009: please add $30 per person.
- For registrations received between August 29, 2009 and November 30, 2009: please add $50 per person.
Please note: Going on a cruise requires a different payment structure than going to a hotel. In order for us to get you the best rate, it is really important that you get your registration in as early as possible. Remember, while we would want you to be able to join us, we understand unavoidable things happen; you can cancel up to 60 days prior (approximately 2 months from the actual sail date) and still get a FULL REFUND!
Register NOW and save money! The cruise line will only allow us to hold these rates until November 30, 2009. After that, we will have to re-price the convention package based on new rates.
Contact Information
Martha Folsom is your 2010 Convention Host and is getting extra help from her daughter and cruise expert, Kelly Taylor. You can email either of them at 2010AGPC@gmail.com or call toll-free (US or Canada) at +1-866-887-1017.
To register by postal mail, please print the Registration Form, fill it out, and send it to the address on the form.
For more information or to register online, visit www.keljoy.com/agpc2010.html.
Recent News
Check out photos from AGPC's 2009 annual convention in Providence, Rhode Island in April 2009!
Longtime jigsaw puzzle cutter Rachel "Pagey" Elliott of Pagemark Puzzles died on 20 March 2009.
- Obituary in the Boston Globe
- Golden memories: Remembering Pagey Elliott, including video, on New England Cable News
- Remembrance posted on the Dee Funeral Home and Cremation site in Concord MA
- Puzzles Created by Pagey Elliott on Bob Armstrong's site.
- Pagey Elliott, Master of Many Trades, by Laura Foley on the Golden Retriever Club of America site.
- Pagey's autobiography, From Hoofbeats to Dogsteps, on Amazon.com
AGPC member and jigsaw puzzle cutter Dottie Anderson died in August 2008 at the age of 82. Obituary
Puzzle Parley 9, organized by Bob Armstrong, Melinda Shebell, and others, was a raging success during the weekend of 7-9 November 2008, in Stow, Sturbridge, and Worcester, Mass. Event photos
Check out photos of the fun and frolic at the AGPC Mid-Atlantic Halloween Party held in Reading PA on 1 November 2008. Event photos + Allentown Toy Show photos
AGPC charter member Stephen Olin has died. In the 1990s Steve and his wife Diane started Playthings Past, which sells modern versions of classic toys and games. In 2006, Steve donated his catalog collection to the Strong Museum.
Photos from AGPC's 2008 annual convention in Charleston, South Carolina are now available! Convention photos