Diddl - Blok

Diddl blokken (Diddl notepads) are the scented stationery items featuring Diddl, the big-footed cartoon mouse created by German artist Thomas Goletz in 1994. These A6-sized notepads came with elaborately illustrated, brightly coloured pages — each sheet a unique design — and a distinctive sweet scent that's instantly recognizable to anyone who collected them. They were a schoolyard trading phenomenon across the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium throughout the late '90s.

Diddl collecting is driven almost entirely by nostalgia, and the market has been heating up as the generation that traded them in primary school rediscovers them. Complete, unused blokken with all pages intact are the most valuable — once sheets were torn out for trading, the bloc lost its completeness. Special editions, holiday themes, and the earliest releases from the mid-'90s are the most sought-after. The scent, remarkably, often persists even decades later.

When buying, check that all pages are present and none have been torn out — flip through carefully. The cover should be clean and unscuffed, and the spiral binding (on some versions) should be straight. Unused blokken obviously command higher prices than partially used ones. Verify the scent is still present if that's part of the appeal for you. Bulk lots can be a good way to find rare sheets, but inspect photos carefully for condition. A complete, sealed Diddl blok from the '90s in wrapper is about as good as it gets.