Today, hundreds of Harry Potter fans are braving the rain in Trafalger Square as they eagerly await the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the final installation of the Harry Potter series.
Many in costume, some fans are so keen that they have camped out in Trafalger Square since Monday night, according to the Telegraph. One fan told news service AFP “It’s really important for me. It’s the end of my childhood. I can’t believe it”.
Potter fans brave the rain in Trafalger Square
So with the Harry Potter era coming to an end, now is a good a time as any to start investing in Potter memorabilia. Paul Fraser himself said, in one of his recent “Paul Says…” columns, “[The Harry Potter] memorabilia markets probably won’t fully-mature for 10-15 years. [That’s] when the children of today are set in their careers and have the disposable income to invest in their childhood passions.”
So to celebrate the ending of one of the most popular series of childrens’ films ever, here’s a countdown of my top 5 favourite items of Harry Potter memorabilia to have sold in recent years…
5) Gary Oldman’s ‘Sirius Black’ costume
This grey linen overcoat, which featured extensive ink staining and tears, was worn by Oldman for his role as Sirius Black in The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
The overcoat fetched £15,600 at a Bonhams auction in 2007.
4) 19th century globe from the Philosopher’s Stone
In 2001, a 30″ W & AK Johnston globe used in Harry Potter’s film debut was sold by Sotheby’s for £17,750, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of £8,000-12,000.
The globe can be seen in library scenes of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone when Harry, Ron and Hermionie try to find out who Nicholas Flamel is.
3) JK Rowling’s chair
In 2009, the chair JK Rowling sat on whilst writing the first two Harry Potter books was sold at auction for £19,555.
The dining room chair, which came from Rowling’s Edinbugh council flat, has been decorated with the words “I wrote Harry Potter here”
2) JK Rowling original sketch of Harry Potter characters
A beautiful sketch of several characters from the Harry Potter series, drawn by Rowling herself sold for £34,100 at a Sotheby’s sale back in 2007.
1) The Tales of Beedle the Bard
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a book of children’s stories written Rowling before her creation of the famous boy-wizard.
Avid Potter fans will know that this is the book Hermione receives in Dumbledore’s will – a copy of the original edition.
A collector got their hands on an edition even finer than Hermione’s at auction in December 2007. One of only seven known handmade copies handwritten and illustrated by JK Rowling went to auction with a starting price of £30,000, and was expected to sell for £50,000.
We were present at the auction and entered a bid of £1m. It finally brought £1.95m.
So those are my top 5 favourite items of Harry Potter memorabilia. Think I’ve missed something important? Then leave a comment and tell me what your favourite items are.
By Kylie.
Fans image from: The Telegraph
Sirius Black costume image from: Bonhams
JK Rowling sketch and The Tales of Beedle the Bard images from: Sotheby’s
Paul Fraser Collectibles 