Jan van Haasteren puzzle “Open Up!” – the puzzle that surprised the Netherlands
In October 2025, there was a major commotion within the Jan van Haasteren community. October 8, 2025 an advertisement appeared on Marktplaats for a mini puzzle of only 35 pieces, with the title “Open up!”This puzzle, packaged in a small metal tin, was presented as a rare item, originating from the Dutch National Jigsaw Puzzle Championships 2025The ad quickly became one of the most talked about puzzle deals ever.
The origin of the puzzle
Later reports revealed that Open Up! was specially designed for the quick puzzle element during the Fan Day of the NK Jigsaw Puzzles. In the official program brochure of the Jan van Haasteren Fanzone was this part listed as “Speed puzzling”:
Who can complete a 35-piece puzzle the fastest? The participant with the fastest time wins a nice prize.
This involved an activity in which visitors had to solve a 35-piece mini-puzzle on the spot. The puzzle itself—featuring the recognizable Jan van Haasteren scene of a living room with someone shouting "Open up!"—was only used during this competition. The winner of this speed-puzzle competition received this very special 35-piece puzzle. One of these copies later ended up for public sale on Marktplaats, which caused a huge commotion. Jan van Haasteren's daughter, Saskia de Rijk, later confirmed that the puzzle was never commercially released:
"It was never for sale; it was for speed-puzzling during Fan Day. The winner received the puzzle that was used that day."
This made it clear that this was a exclusive piece of puzzle history, originating from a unique competition activity of the 2025 Dutch National Puzzle Championships.
The bidding is getting out of hand
What started as an innocent auction turned into a true media spectacle within a few days. 9 and 10 October 2025 the bids rose rapidly:
With final bids of even €1500 and €1600 euros:
Summary of the advertisement:
The advertisement was more than 1.100 views, Saved as favorite 111 times en bid more than 40 timesSome bidders increased their own bids multiple times within minutes—presumably to outbid each other or out of curiosity about the reactions.
Discussion on social media
The high bids caused great surprise and division among puzzle enthusiasts. 10 and 11 October 2025 the Facebook groups were filled with reactions:
Outrage and disbelief
“Whatever a fool would give for it.”
“Nobody is paying for this! Fake bids!”
“Another dumbass, clearly not an official puzzle.”
Collectors defend the bid
"The seller doesn't ask for anything; people bid on it themselves. Collectors simply want everything."
“If someone wants to give me €1500, I won't say no!”
Doubts about authenticity and seller
Some suspected that bidders like “Toos” were deliberately inflating the price or that the advertisement was fake.
“Maybe that one 'Toos' is a relative who is having the price increased.”
“It seems like a fake ad to me.”
Marketplace intervention
Op October 12, 2025 several users received a warning from Marktplaats itself:
"We suspect that this user is not trading safely on our platform. Therefore, we have blocked this user's account."
The seller – Thomas Underwater – previously stated that he had "found the puzzle in the attic," but later reported that he had "won it at the Dutch National Puzzle Championship." This contradictory information fueled the doubts. After the Marktplaats announcement, the ad was quietly removed. The puzzle was eventually not sold.
Response from the Van Haasteren family
In a puzzle group, Jan van Haasteren's daughter also responded, Saskia de Rijk, clearly:
“Made a few of these once for a special occasion, but definitely not worth the money.”
Her response brought calm to the discussion, but also disappointment to collectors who had hoped for a truly unique collector's item.
Summary of the social storm
- Publication on Marktplaats: October 8, 2025
- Bids reached: € 1.900
- Number of bids: about 42
- Number of favorites: 111
- Ad removed: around October 13, 2025
- Marketplace notification: “User may be unsafe”
- Response from the Van Haasteren family: “Not for sale, only a few made, not intended for sale.”
Ready to see how Snowflake works?
De Open Up!-puzzle has become a modern puzzle phenomenon. What started as a small promotional item for the Dutch National Puzzle Championships became a symbol of the collecting craze surrounding Jan van Haasteren puzzlesAlthough the puzzle was never officially sold, it fetched a virtual record price on Marktplaats € 1.600 to € 1.900 — amounts that even the rarest puzzles on the list of www.puzzel-1000-stukjes.nl surpassed. Whether the high bids were genuine or partly fake remains unclear, but one thing is certain: the 35-piece puzzle Open Up! will go down in history as the puzzle that caused a stir among many on social media.
This Corgi puzzle is part of a collection of three other Corgi puzzles. With the set of four puzzles, collectors have all four complete – the Jan van Haasteren Corgi puzzles. Furthermore, the following is known (source: jvh-puzzels.nl): the disc jockey bears Jan van Haasteren's signature, and the puzzle originates from England. The "Corgi" brand is a British puzzle brand. Corgi is a British brand that has gained worldwide recognition for the production of high-quality model cars, trucks, and other collectibles. The brand was founded in 1956 by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. and quickly gained a great reputation for its detailed and realistic miniatures. The name "Corgi" is derived from the popular Welsh dog breed, giving the brand a clear link to its British roots. While Corgi initially became famous primarily for its model cars—including iconic models like the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 with working gadgets—the brand has also branched out into other products, including puzzles. Corgi puzzles, like the models themselves, are known for their detailed designs and themes, often related to classic cars, British culture, and historical themes. Many Corgi puzzles are aimed at vehicle and collectible enthusiasts, and they are notable for the quality of the printing and the nostalgic appeal of the illustrations. For collectors and puzzlers, Corgi puzzles offer a wonderful combination of puzzling fun and an appreciation for the brand's rich history. Today, Corgi remains a respected name in the world of collectibles and puzzles, where tradition and quality are paramount. This puzzle is available in no fewer than five (or four) variations! Of these, there is some doubt as to whether one puzzle, the one in the "full" version of 384 pieces, actually existed. It's also possible that someone had a puzzle made from the image. A version with a box has never been seen. This puzzle is available in:
– 384 pieces (complete puzzle), where there is no box available for the 384 piece puzzle.
There are also four separate puzzles of this Corgi available. Each one has its own number and name. These are the variations:
Corgi Puzzle 'La Discothèque' – Number 731 – 72 Pieces,
Corgi Puzzle 'Le Bar' – Number 732 – 72 Pieces,
Corgi Puzzle 'The Disc Jockey' – Number 733 – 72 Pieces,
Corgi Puzzle 'Le disco pi.' – Number 734 – 72 Pieces.
It's difficult to get all 5 of these variations...let alone just one of them...This puzzle only has 72 pieces and the dimensions of one puzzle are 32 centimeters x 27 centimeters. The puzzle pieces are 3 cm x 3 cm, while normal puzzle pieces of a 1000-piece puzzle are 2 cm x 2 cm.
Update – on April 12, 2024One Corgi puzzle was sold on Marktplaats for €150, and it's the "Top Left" Corgi puzzle. It's this one: 
Update – on August 18, 2025I bought one Corgi puzzle on Marktplaats for €225, and it's the "Bottom Right" Corgi puzzle. It's this one: 
| Activity | Type | Short description |
|---|---|---|
| Domburg Beach | Nature | Enjoy wide sandy beaches and clear swimming water, ideal for families and beach lovers. |
| The Cloak of Walcheren | Nature | Special nature reserve with dune forests and hiking trails close to the coast. |
| Museum Marie Tak van Poortvliet | Culture | Discover the artistic history of Domburg in this small, atmospheric museum. |
| Domburgsche Golf Course | Sports | One of the oldest links courses in the Netherlands, beautifully situated in the dunes. |
| Restaurant Mezger | Restaurant | Enjoy fine dining in a stylish setting with sea views. |
| Name | Distance | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Roompot Forest and Dunes (Oostkapelle, 3.4 km) | 3.4 km | Situated in the peaceful Oostkapelle, Roompot Bos en Duin offers direct access to the forest and beach. Ideal for nature lovers and those seeking peace and quiet. |
| Roompot Camping De Zandput (Vrouwenpolder, 8.0 km) | 8.0 km | This campsite in Vrouwenpolder is close to the beach and the Veerse Meer. Perfect for families who love the beach, cycling and water sports. |
| Roompot North Sea Residence Dishoek (Koudekerke, 9.3 km) | 9.3 km | Luxury holiday park in Koudekerke within walking distance of the sea. Enjoy stylish accommodations and beautiful dune landscapes. |
Update – on April 12, 2024, one Corgi puzzle was sold via Marktplaats for 150 euros, and that is the Corgi puzzle 'Top left corner'. That's this:
Of these Bolletjes there are also several comics published for Bolletje with the Bolletjes in them. In total there are 15 different Bolletjes in this comic. This is the front of the comic book:
This is a rare puzzle and that is because this is a publication by the American puzzle manufacturer Ceaco. Within Ceaco you have various puzzle series and this is the edition that falls within the 'Crowd Pleasers' series. Within the Crowd Pleasers series, 28 puzzles by Jan van Haasteren have been published. These are the series with the numbers:
- from 3337-01 to 3337-03 (all 1000 pieces)
- from 3342-01 to 3342-24 (all 1000 pieces)
- number 3501-14 Toy Ahoy (2000 pieces)
For the 'die-hard' puzzle collectors, the challenge is to acquire entire series. This drawing is of course not unique, because 'Happy Birthday' has also appeared in other puzzles with different numbers of pieces. But Ceaco makes this puzzle unique and rarer and therefore more expensive.
- Puzzle 'Castle' (is not the official name!) – number 1351 – Jumbo edition – Illustrator = Peter de Smet
- Puzzle 'Boat' (is not the official name!) – number 1352 – Jumbo edition – Illustrator = Peter de Smet
- Puzzle 'Crazy Jungle – Boxing' – number 1353 – Jumbo edition – Artist = Jan van Haasteren
- Puzzle 'Crazy Jungle – Swimming' – number 1354 – Jumbo edition – Illustrator = Jan van Haasteren
Neighbors (De Buren) – Edition Express Gifts (number 421243)
This is certainly a very rare Jan van Haasteren puzzle. I was able to buy it via Marktplaats in September 2023. I bought it for €47. The second highest bidder of 42 euros. In principle, you charge €0,01 per piece for a second-hand puzzle. A puzzle of 150 pieces would cost € 1,50 and I bought this one for € 42! I have still looked behind the story of this puzzle. There is another ANWB puzzle, namely 'camping fun' with number 81456, both were published in 150 pieces. But the 'Camping fun' puzzle is slightly rarer and therefore more expensive than 'Traffic fun'. This 'Traffic Fun' puzzle has number 81457. I could also buy these two at the same time and so I really wanted to have them both. And succeeded! But you could buy these puzzles in ANWB stores in 2015, but in a limited edition and they were not on sale for long, which is why you almost never come across them. Not much else special to mention. Besides the fact that this puzzle 'Traffic fun' has also appeared in the following variants:
- Puzzle: 'Traffic chaos' in 500 pieces with number 17465
- Puzzle: 'Scooter Scramble' in 1000 pieces (the latter is published by HFW – Holdson Funny World) with number 9903.
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