10 Pieces of Harry Potter Memorabilia From an Unofficial Collector’s Guide

You may own all seven Harry Potter books, all eight films, and a closet filled with swag to match your Hogwarts house, but would you spend thousands of dollars on a piece of rare Harry Potter memorabilia? For his new book Harry Potter: The Unofficial Guide to the Collectibles of Our Favorite Wizard, Eric Bradley compiled some of the most magical items to come from the wizarding world. Whether they belong to private buyers or have been displayed to the public, here are the pieces he featured that are sure to make every fan wish they knew a summoning charm.

1. CHOCOLATE FROG WIZARD TRADING CARDS

As is the case in Harry Potter, chocolate frog wizard trading cards are collector's items. But instead of being worth a few sickles, they can sell for hundreds in the real world. This prop card used in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) sold for $475 at an auction in 2012. In place of a disappearing, holographic wizard, the piece of cardboard has a green surface for superimposing computer graphics.

2. HARRY'S FIRST BROOM

This prop broomstick, which is actually made from fiberglass, was ridden by Daniel Radcliffe in the first Harry Potter film. The piece is also identical to the broom the actor appeared with on his 2001 Vanity Fair cover. It’s no Nimbus 2000, but a crew member had no problem selling it even before Sorcerer’s Stone premiered. The broom was purchased by its current owner for $2860.

3. ORIGINAL SORCERER'S STONE POSTER

Any poster used to advertise one of the eight Harry Potter films is a potential collector’s item. But this illustration, hand-made by artist Drew Struzan for the first movie, is a work of art that stands on its own. Struzan is best known for creating the iconic posters for Back to the Future (1985) and the Indiana Jones series. Warner Bros. originally planned to have Struzan produce the posters for every installment of the Harry Potter franchise, but following the success of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, they switched to photo-heavy promotional art, making Struzan’s sole contribution even more special. His original painting is very similar to the final poster, with only Rupert Grint’s face having been changed. The piece is valued between $40,000 and $60,000.

4. HAGRID’S CROSSBOW

With a flying motorcycle, a menagerie of beastly pets, and a moleskin coat, Hagrid is arguably the coolest wizard living at Hogwarts. But his crossbow may be his most enviable possession of all. For the first film, the production designers aimed to give it a vintage look with distressed wood and iron components. The prop sold for $25,000 at Julien’s Auctions in 2012.

5. UNUSED SHEET MUSIC

Props don’t have to appear in the Harry Potter movies to be sought-after collector's items. As Bradley writes in The Unofficial Guide to the Collectibles of Our Favorite Wizard, sheet music written for a scene that was cut from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone ended up gaining attention even without any screen time. The unused print of the music and lyrics, penned in gold ink, was purchased by a fan for $600.

6. ARITHMANCY SIGN

Looking for the perfect sign to hang beside your collection of Harry Potter books at home? The arithmancy sign that can be seen hanging above a Diagon Alley bookstore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is hard to beat. Chained beneath the text of the sign itself, a gold hand was carved to point passersby in the direction of the shop. A private buyer bought the painted wood prop for $800.

7. LIFE-SIZED DOBBY

A physical Dobby prop wasn’t used to make Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) (unless you count his tennis ball stand-in). But a life-sized model of the house elf was made by Warner Bros. and distributed to Walmart locations across the U.S. According to Eric Bradley, the 28-inch statue was usually awarded to stores as a top sales bonus and eventually raffled off to employees. Only 200 of the promotional products were made, and today they’re worth between $350 and $700 apiece.

8. J.K. ROWLING’S CHARACTER SKETCH

Some readers picture the characters from Harry Potter as the illustrations from the books, while others picture the actors from the film. A rare drawing by J.K. Rowling demonstrated how the author envisioned her creations. Sketched in pencil in 1999, her scene included Hagrid, Snape, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Dobby, Crookshanks, Fawkes, a golden snitch, and the Sorting Hat. Rowling originally made it for the BBC charity Children in Need. It was auctioned off for $42,000 in 2007.

9. THE TRIWIZARD CUP

The Triwizard Cup sets off the events in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2004), making it one of the more memorable props from the film. Though Bradley guesses it could easily go for tens of thousands of dollars at auction, it’s never been sold to a member of the public. The piece of movie memorabilia was made available for anyone to see in 2012 as part of the Harry Potter Exhibition at the London Film Museum.

10. J.K. ROWLING-DESIGNED CHARM BRACELET

You won't recognize this piece from the movies or the books. J.K. Rowling designed it exclusively to raise money for Lumos, an organization that works to find families for children placed in orphanages around the world. Many of the charms, like the lightning bolt, the glasses, the Deathly Hallows, and the witch’s hat, are symbols from Harry Potter. The butterfly is the logo for Lumos and it’s meant to symbolize transformation and liberation. A Scottish businessman and father purchased the bracelet at a charity auction in 2013 for $25,000. He said he hopes the keepsake remains in his family for several generations to come.