This Business Is Booming Amid Coronavirus

These are bizarre times we're living in these days, what with the Covid 19 Coronavirus pandemic. We're all know that this too shall pass and the sooner the better. In addition to the obvious and devastating health issues, the challenge for the economic community is enormous.

I hope and pray that all businesses, especially the local hometown ones, not only survive but thrive...come out the 'other side' bigger and better than ever.

And yet, there are businesses and industries that are doing well during this trying time. In fact, some are doing better than well.

I would assume the toilet paper folks must be doing OK, since finding TP sometimes is like panning for gold. And I heard my friend Alan Helgeson mention on-the-air the other day that frozen pizza's are selling like, well...hotcakes.

And then I saw on CNBC that an old favorite is doing booming boffo business.

Jigsaw puzzles.

I remember a few years ago...well, a few decades ago...OK, ok, over a half century ago, sitting at our little farmhouse kitchen table with my parents and my brother and putting together, what seemed like, a million piece puzzle. And then they seemed to just, I don't know, disappear. Well, maybe not disappear, but certainly they became rare.

Now, they're roaring back.

According to the article I read on CNBC, the big jigsaw puzzle maker is a company called Ravensburger, and they report U.S. puzzle sales have soared over 370% from a year ago. Why the tremendous jump?

The Coronaviruse pandemic of course, and the 'stay-at-home' we're all dling, or should be doing.

And it's not uncommon. The article also states that back in the 1930's, when the country had a tremendous economic challenge (The Dity 30's, remember?), manufacturers were churning out 10 million puzzles a week. In fact, people would rent puzzles for a nickel a night.

And really, it all makes sense in these weird times. Not only is it something to do with all those hours of staying home, putting together that puzzle 'takes you away' for a time, away from hat seems to be 24-hour-a-day pandemic news.

It's relaxing. And relatively inexpensive.

So go ahead, grab a 1,000 piecer...if you can find one!