Lotta Potter: 'Harry Potter' Merchandise

With the next book in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series many looong months away, what’s a Muggle to do? Snap up Potter merchandise about to apparate in stores. Already, the Warner Bros. Studio Store is hawking Harry caps and Hogwarts tees (Warner will release the movie next fall). But that’s just the tip of the wand: At last month’s MAGIC fashion trade show in Las Vegas, store buyers were treated to a peek at Gryffindor tees and a Harry Potter gift set with CD wallet and mouse pad (for Hermione-idolizing girls and the Quidditch-loving boys who tease ’em), scheduled to hit department and gift stores late this year. But call this the Juggernaut-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named: Warner Bros.’ consumer-marketing division declines to comment on Potter product. Why so hush-hush? With a new book and a movie rolling out next year, ”they’re afraid of oversaturating fans with information,” says one licenser. Tom Prichard, general manager of CAP Candy, which will distribute sardine-flavored jelly beans (see The Sorcerer’s Stone), views the onslaught this way: ”This gives kids the opportunity to live in Harry’s world. Everybody wants to live in Harry’s world.” If only for the Nimbus Two Thousand …