But how did this receipt spike ever find its way into the office in the first place? Asking around produced some wonderful stories from colleagues about paarltjes, the classifieds Observant used to fill entire pages with. They ranged from bikes for sale and rooms for rent to more cryptic notices. A few picks from the archives: “TUE 1 MAR we’re going SCOTTISH at Orcus!” “Moving too expensive? Let BUBU take the wheel.” Another gem: “Photo of woman on bike at UMC bike racks, taken by elderly lady after flood; pick up at Observant.”
Anyone wanting to place one of these mini adverts could fill in a template in the newspaper made up of small boxes – one letter per box. The more boxes you used, the more expensive the advert, up to a maximum of fifteen guilders (later eight euros). Many a student on a dare to get themselves in the paper stopped by the office to drop off an advert. The assistant to the editors would pin it to the spike and check it for errors and acceptable language.
Paarltjes continued to come in for years, but the spike gradually fell out of use. With the rise of the digital age, people increasingly sent in their adverts by email. Online platforms like Marktplaats and Facebook also proved better ways to get rid of stuff. In January of this year, Observant stopped running the adverts altogether when our assistant retired. The empty receipt spike became a relic from a bygone era.