The holiday season is fast approaching, so starting this week we will be sharing one or more Harry Potter items to get for the Potter fans in your life (or yourself) every Friday!

Dementors and House-elves, merpeople and Chinese Fireball Dragons, and Harry Potter fans everywhere are sure to love the magical gifts inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. For those Harry Potter Super Fans who have it all, Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) presents Harry Potter: The Creature Vault, a book that takes a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how this menagerie was produced for the blockbuster Harry Potter film series. Also, bring spells to life this holiday, or at least to the television.  WBCP is offering the Harry Potter Remote Control Wand, allowing wizards everywhere to magically control any IR device with the flick of the wrist.

A video from the First Day Issue Ceremony for the Harry Potter USPS stamps has been posted by LinnsStampNews. In the video you can see Evanna Lynch as well as the Frog Choir and more!

You can also vote for the Harry Potter stamp series as your favorite of 2013 by clicking on the heart next to the “Harry Potter” category on this website. You can also view more information about the stamps by clicking the arrow on the right side.

Thanks Mugglenet for the tip!

Amazon and Warner Bros. are releasing a Harry Potter Hogwarts Collection DVD/BluRay set this coming February 25, 2014.  This seems to be a more light-weight version of the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection set released last year. It is priced at $174.99 and contains all eight Harry Potter movies on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet and more than 37 hours of special features including the Creating the World of Harry Potter documentary series. All the features are as follows:

Creating the World of Harry Potter documentary:

• Part 1: The Magic Begins – Explore the early decisions that impacted the entire series, and follow the search for the young leads.
• Part 2: Characters – Learn about the casting process and how the actors brought J.K. Rowling’s beloved characters to life.
• Part 3: Creatures – Meet a new group of wizards: the artists who created the monsters and marvels in Harry’s world.
• Part 4: Sound & Music – Hear how the composers and sound experts used their craft to magnify the series’ emotional journey.
• Part 5: Evolution – Join the filmmakers as they discuss how the creative vision for the films evolved throughout the series.
• Part 6: Magical Effects – Watch how technical wizards conjured up an amazing alternate reality using CGI and practical effects.
• Part 7: Story – Listen in as J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves discuss how the books were adapted for the screen.
• Part 8: Growing Up – See how the young stars’ ideas of acting, fame and themselves have changed over ten years.

PLUS A BONUS DISC with over 3 hours of features including:

• “The Harry Potters You Never Met” – Meet the stunt doubles for Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as they demonstrate how they balanced major stunt work with seamlessly mimicking the actors they represented and share their favorite moments.
• “Designing the World of Harry Potter” – Explore how production designer Stuart Craig and his creative team brought J.K. Rowling’s imagination to life on the screen.
• “When Harry Left Hogwarts” (Extended Version) – Hear candid and emotional stories about the final days on set in this extended behind-the-scenes look.
• “50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments” (Definitive Version) – Take a look back with cast members who share their on and off-screen memories.
•  “Secrets Revealed! Quidditch” – At last, the secrets behind the special effects required for the breathtaking Quidditch scenes are revealed!
• “Secrets Revealed! Hagrid”- See the camera tricks, towering stand-in and voluminous body suits behind the beloved Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.

Today Warner Bros. have sent over an exciting press release, just in time for the holidays! The Harry Potter Shop at Platfrom 9¾ at King’s Cross has opened an online store, shipping to the United Kingdom! Read the full press release below!

Following the successful opening of THE HARRY POTTER™ SHOP AT PLATFORM 9¾ at King’s Cross Station in December 2012, Platform 9¾ K1ngs Cross Ltd is pleased to announce the launch of the new THE HARRY POTTER™ SHOP AT PLATFORM 9¾ online shop.

All official Platform 9¾ K1ngs Cross Ltd merchandise and select official Harry Potter™ products are now available to purchase online via harrypotterplatform934.com, so those unable to visit the shop at King’s Cross Station can buy that special Harry Potter gift. For Christmas 2013, the online shop will deliver to UK residents with wider delivery options coming soon in early 2014. Available via the online store are items such as replica Hogwarts Express collectible train tickets, souvenirs, wands, t-shirts, stationery, books, Hogwarts robes and uniforms, as well as other collectibles in homage to the successful Harry Potter™ film series.

THE HARRY POTTER™ SHOP AT PLATFORM 9¾ has been produced by Jonathan Sands (Founder and Chief Executive of London Film Museum) and partners, and in collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

“We are delighted that we can now bring The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ to a wider audience,” says Jonathan Sands, founder of THE HARRY POTTER™ SHOP AT PLATFORM 9¾. “Since opening the shop, in association with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, at King’s Cross Station last December, we have been constantly asked how customers can buy our iconic range of Platform 9 ¾ merchandise without travelling to London, and here’s how.”

The Harry Potter USPS Forever stamps we posted about last week are now available at USPS locations and in their online store. Shop all the items on their Harry Potter page. They have numerous items available for purchase from your basic Stamp Book (20 stamps) to a First Day of Issue color postmark and press sheets. A description for the basic booklet is as follows:

The Harry Potter films brought J.K. Rowling’s magical world to the screen, giving physical shape to the characters, creatures, and places that had lived in readers’ imaginations since publication of the first book. The U.S. Postal Service celebrates that magic with a 20-stamp souvenir booklet featuring stills from the award-winning Warner Bros. movies.

The folded booklet has five pages. The front cover features the title Harry Potter, with an image of Harry playing Quidditch, the beloved wizarding sport. The back cover has a picture of a young Harry in class, taking notes with his quill; the title Harry Potter is centered under the picture. When the booklet is opened, an illustration of Hogwarts covers two pages on the back, and selvage text appears on the last page. Inside there are five groupings of four stamps, each grouping set on its own page. Each set of four stamps, featuring stills from the Warner Bros. movies, surrounds the red wax seal of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Harry Potter’s story begins when he receives a letter and a visitor that change his life. He learns that he is the orphaned son of two wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. Invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry embarks on an adventure he never could have imagined.

The stamps capture the magic of Harry’s world, with photographs of a few of the brave heroes, fearsome villains, and extraordinary creatures that he encounters throughout his adventures.

[…]The art directors for the Harry Potter Stamp Collection were William J. Gicker and Greg Breeding. Breedingdesigned the souvenir booklet using images from the Warner Bros. Harry Potter movies.

The Harry Potter stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.

The sample sale website Gilt, is having a Juniper Books flash sale until Saturday. The sale includes custom made Harry Potter book sets inspired by each of the 4 Hogwarts Houses!  Sign up for Gilt now to purchase a gift set for yourself or a family member (once you sign up go to the “Home” section!) A description of the sets is as follows:

A complete hardcover set of Harry Potter books in custom book jackets. All seven books in the series has custom book jackets made to look like antique gold and red leather bindings inspired by the Gryffindor colors [and corresponding colors for the other houses.]

Thatcher Wine is the founder of Juniper Books and inventor of custom book jackets. Each book set is personally curated by Thatcher in coordination with the publishers.

Includes:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Material: Paper

Care: Dust with a dry cloth

Brand: Juniper Books LLC

Origin: United States