By Monique
It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas gifts, and if you’ve got a Harry Potter fan in your home who also loves stationary, then I’d highly consider you buy them the Harry Potter:Deluxe Stationary Set from Insight Editions.
The set comes in two different themes, Gryffindor and Slytherin (both featured below). In either set, you’ll receive a 192-page ruled journal, 20 envelopes, 20 pieces of writing paper, a wax stamp and two wax sticks (for sealing your envelopes), and a paperweight. Everything comes in a keepsake box. The set is priced at $35.95.
Here’s more from the press release:
Incorporating the colors and heraldry of two fan-favorite houses—Gryffindor and Slytherin—these stationery sets showcase the vibrant graphics and concept art from the films. These finely crafted stationery sets are the perfect accessories to the beloved franchise, inviting fans to support their favorite Hogwarts house while they record their own heroic adventures.
The huge fan base surrounding the treasured Harry Potter movies continues to search for new Harry Potter–themed products to add to their collection, and these stationery sets are a must-have.
My thoughts: Overall, this is a great set. The assortment of items the set comes with would make any Harry Potter fan happy to include the set in their office, dorm, or locker. The wax sticks and stamp are some of the more unusual items, which would give any fan delight when sealing their envelopes the old-fashioned, “magical” way. The sticks and stamp, along with the heavy paperweight emblazoned with a detailed relief of the Gryffindor or Slytherin crest, make this a must-buy.
My favorite item is probably the paperweight. The paperweight seems to be made of a type of resin or a heavy duty plastic, and the functionality of it is fantastic. “But it’s just supposed to hold down paper!” Yeah, but if you’re like me and you have a lot of paper to hold down, a paperweight has to do its job and some weights just aren’t heavy enough. This paperweight, though, has a great heft to it and does its job. It’s also beautiful to look at it and has a pleasant feel to the hand.
I also have to say that all of the items are very nicely stylized. Insight Editions worked with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to get things right for the fans, and I think that for the most part, everything turned out just the way the fans would want. I received the Gryffindor set and I thoroughly love it. That says a lot, since I’m actually a Slytherin fan.
I do have some points of note on this set:
1) I wish it came with a special pen, like a quill pen with an ink well, or a ballpoint “quill” pen. Having used ink and quill before, I know those two items can be pricey, so I’m sure that’s why those weren’t included in a set created for mass consumption. However, adding a simple pen that looked like a quill pen would have been great, I think. To me, a special pen would have completed the magical feel of the set; why use magical paper and wax only to have to use a Muggle pen?
2) I wish the keepsake box, while nice in its own right, was of a stronger material, like a plastic with a faux-wood grain. The box itself is sturdy, but it’s also paper-based; it’s made of a very strong cardboard, stuff that almost feels like a thin particle board. But the weakness of the box comes around the base of the lid. Where the lid meets the rest of the box, a person could easily take an Xacto and cut it. Or, not as dramatic as that, the lid could eventually wear away and break off.
3) I would have liked for there to be more permanent dividers in the box. When I received my box, the items were packaged in cardboard dividers. However, the dividers have the look and feel of a cardboard egg carton. It could be that these are temporary dividers, and you’re supposed to place everything in the box without them, but the fact that the cartons do have specific slots for certain items leaves me confused. Since that’s the case, I would have liked it if the box came with permanent dividers. That would have made the keepsake box even more special and more of an item that could be placed alongside office shelving.
In short, I’d recommend this set to anyone who’s a Potterhead. It’ll make anyone who owns it feel like they’re writing home from Hogwarts. If you’d like some other Harry Potter products from Insight Editions, you might want to think about these:
Harry Potter™: Gryffindor Hardcover Ruled Journal:
Founded by Godric Gryffindor, Gryffindor house is noted for the courage and determination of its members. One of the four houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Gryffindor’s common room is guarded by a portrait of the Fat Lady and its dormitories are adorned in the house colors of scarlet and gold. The Harry Potter™: Gryffindor Hardcover Ruled Journal is adorned with the Gryffindor crest.
Harry Potter™: Slytherin Hardcover Ruled Journal:
Slytherin house takes its name from Salazar Slytherin and is noted for the ambition and resourcefulness of its members. The Sorting Hat looks for students who are shrewd, cunning, and ambitious for Slytherin house. The Harry Potter™: Slytherin Hardcover Ruled Journal features the Slytherin crest on its cover.
Harry Potter™: Hogwarts Hardcover Ruled Journal:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin, is arguably the most iconic setting of the Harry Potter film series. The Hogwarts crest is front and center on the Harry Potter™: Hogwarts Hardcover Ruled Journal.
Harry Potter™: Deathly Hallows Hardcover Ruled Journal:
Together, the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility make up the Deathly Hallows. The symbols of these legendary magical icons can be combined to create the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, which is the main graphic featured on the cover of the Harry Potter™: Deathly Hallows Hardcover Ruled Journal.
Insight Editions’ Harry Potter products are developed under license with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.
