It all started with four people and four puzzles. 

My name is Kate and I love puzzles. What I don't love is buying new puzzles every time I finish one. In November 2017, I asked if anyone would be interested in trading puzzles. A handful of people responded, and one mentioned that her family had a cafe down the street from my Oakland apartment. We met there: four people bringing puzzles. We chatted about what we had brought, what we liked in puzzles, and we each went home with something new. 

And with that, The Puzzle Swap Society was born.

The next month, I invited other people to gather at the same place - Woody's Cafe. We had more than a dozen puzzles contributed by various puzzle lovers. I agreed to take home any extras that didn't find new homes. 

It was the beginning of "the stash".

Each monthly swap brought new members and new puzzles. The stash of puzzles grew to several dozen.

In 2020, the pandemic hit. We couldn't safely meet in person for months. And demand for puzzles soared as people sheltered in place. I spent weekends delivering plastic bags full of puzzles to anyone who asked. The stash dwindled but we never ran out of puzzles.

Puzzle swaps continued monthly and the group continued to grow. In August 2025, we expanded outside of Oakland when our Alameda Puzzle Swap found a home at Almanac Brewery. That was the first expansion outside of Oakland, and set us on a path to growth. We are now officially The Puzzle Swap Society!