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Harry Potter Books More Valuable Than Merchandise

by Hsien-Hsien Lei on June 25th, 2005

Looking for Harry Potter paraphernalia to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on July 16th? Don’t expect anything more than the basics like pens and bookmarks. When Order of the Phoenix was released last year, not much sold besides the books.

The release of Half-Blood Prince on July 16, the sixth of Rowling’s seven-book fantasy series, should confirm that Harry Potter mania is essentially a celebration of reading, a phenomenon created by children, not marketers.

~CTV.ca, June 24, 2005

Imagine that! Children actually have a mind of their own and aren’t swayed by the the junk adults are cranking out for them to consume. The more enthusiastic fans will be attending parties featuring fire dancers, Potter adventures, an d Professor Severus Snape and Slytherin House.

Do you have any plans to celebrate the release of Half-Blood Prince?

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POSTED IN: Children's Books (11 to 14 yrs)

6 opinions for Harry Potter Books More Valuable Than Merchandise

  • Dot Bar
    Jun 26, 2005 at 12:33 am

    I’m hoping to sell a HP cape and glasses on Ebay after the book is released. Wish me luck! (trying to launch a hobby business with a friend but so far we’re pretty useless! lol)

  • Lei
    Jun 26, 2005 at 12:59 am

    Thanks for the comment, Dot Bar! If the stores aren’t carrying as much merchandise this time around, then you might have better luck. *crossing fingers for you* :)

  • jenmcd
    Jun 26, 2005 at 7:35 am

    I have a few Christian friends that get all fanatical about how HP is the anti-christ and other craziness like that. The one thing I have been saying about HP books from the get-go is that JK Rowling has managed to get millions of kids to READ again, and that is a miracle.

  • Lei
    Jun 26, 2005 at 7:56 am

    jenmcd - It’s always puzzled this bookworm that everyone claims kids weren’t reading before HP came on the scene. There are so many wonderful books out there besides HP!!

  • Qadira
    Jun 28, 2005 at 12:41 pm

    Before the Harry Potter books, I remember the kids busy trading Pokemon cards and all that mania. There have always been bookworms, but to have the kids who read but prefer other things picking up a long book and reading it cover-to-cover, and doing that with each progressively-longer book in the series is impressive.

    I think the books are over-credited with the More Kids Reading trend. Mostly because it was about this same time that a lot of schools started really emphasizing programs designed to improve children’s reading proficiency.

    Still, I think why kids read HP when there are so many other great books out there that they don’t read fanatically, is because in HP, the kids and adults are mixed together through the whole story. The real world and fantasy world overlap. Kids’ very real fears are touched on and not glossed over with a sweet veneer and avoided.

    Kids aren’t dumb, and too many adults forget that.

    :)

  • Lei
    Jun 29, 2005 at 1:52 am

    Qadira - Good point! I also think because the HP books appeal to adults, parents are more likely to read together with their kids. And we know how much our kids (pre-teen, anyway) love it when we do something together.

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