I decided that a good use of my time would be to take photos of all the Harry Potter stuff that I got while in Europe, instead of go through and edit all three thousand photos I took while I was there. As soon as I knew that I would be going to Europe, I knew that there would be a ton of Harry Potter merch that I would want to buy. And in all honesty, I could have brought back way more stuff, but I was able to exhibit restraint and here's what I got...
Buying tickets to see The Cursed Child was one of the first things that I did after I booked my flight. When I first read the script, I recognized that the plot had a lot of problems, but I loved how the script captured the environment of the wizarding world, and I knew that I would have to see how the play comes together live. I highly recommend seeing the play live, because the magic of the series is so well transferred on stage. I also love the art direction and I had to get some merch featuring the reimagined Gryffindor crest. I was so surprised that they still hand out the #keepthesecrets pin (especially since the script has been out for so long), and it was an excellent addition to my growing pin collection. UK links to merch (US store): program (not sold online), patch, Gryffindor pin, Cursed Child pin, postcard, Gryffindor shirt (not pictured).
House of MinaLima was another place that I knew that I needed to go to. MinaLima is the duo that created all of the art in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. The store was originally a popup store in London, but it is now a permanent fixture and it is a block away from the Palace Theater, where the Cursed Child plays. I was able to pick up a few cards and postcards from the shop, which I'm hoping to add to my Harry Potter wall soon. One day, I would like to own one of their limited edition prints, which I loved seeing in person because they are stunning. Even the quality of the cards is stunning, the foiled detail is beautiful, and the postcards are extremely sturdy. Links to merch: Hogwarts a History card, Hogwarts crest card, Fantastic Beasts card, Gryffindor button, Hogwarts series postcards.
Pro tip: if you're planning a trip to the Harry Potter studios, I suggest booking tickets early. Due to sell outs, I ended up having to buy tickets through a third party company, which was fine and ended up being a good experience, but we were only allotted three hours at the tour and being the massive fan that I am, I could have benefited from spending more time there. Because of this, I only spent 15 minutes in the gift shop and I didn't get to look at everything, which was probably a good thing for my wallet. Plus I didn't want to go too crazy, since the studio tours sells most of the same merch as the Wizarding World does, and I'm itching to take a trip to Orlando in the near future. I did cave by getting the sweater (which is so soft and I'm sad that it's too hot in TX to wear), and I knew I wanted to get a new lanyard since mine broke a while ago. UK links to merch (US link): Gryffindor sweater, time turner keychain, lanyard, Hogwarts express ticket ornament (only at US shop).
Another place that I really wanted to visit was the Platform 9 3/4 store at King's Cross Station, but unfortunately we weren't able to make it. I was able to go to the store at Heathrow Airport, and I picked up a couple of things there. Links to merch: magnet, chocolate frog keychain, philosopher's stone keychain (not online).
Definitely one of the worst things about being a US Harry Potter fan is that so much good, affordable merch comes from Primark, which doesn't ship online and third parties will sell some stuff online but at inflated rates. So I was happy that I got to visit 4 different Primarks and raid some of their Harry Potter displays. I definitely had to restrain myself, because they sell so much stuff, but I already have so much Harry Potter clothing that I limited myself to other merch. A lot of what I got was merch that I'd previously seen on instagram posts, and the candle and the satchel were two of the items I wanted most.
And here are the two items that I definitely did not need to buy, because they are my 9th and 10th copy of the first book. I had previously ordered the 20th edition hardback, but I caved when I saw the paperback edition at Waterstone's. I also picked up a French edition at this small bookstore called La Librairie des Abbesses. I loved that this particular edition features the ebook covers, because I love that artwork and they currently do not sell those covers on any physical editions. I also really wanted to get a Dutch copy while I was in Amsterdam, but I wasn't able to search for one. So that is all the stuff I got, I know it's a lot, but I saw so much stuff that I wanted to buy and because I have little self control when it comes to Harry Potter, I treated myself. - Jessica
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