Take a Dip into the Pensieve with New Collectibles from Running Press!
Running Press, which released a fun collectible Quidditch set last year, is back with more Harry Potter goodness!
The most impressive offering by far is the Pensieve journal set, which comes in a beautiful box that folds open to reveal a journal, an Elder Wand pen, and two memory bottles. Like the Quidditch set, a big part of the fun is the box itself, which I liked at least as much as anything inside. It’s gorgeous and sturdy – something to keep on your shelf for a long time.
The included pen and memory bottles are both made of plastic. In the case of the memory bottles, it makes sense – otherwise, they would be way too fragile! Plus, even made of plastic, they look exactly like props from the film. If I had one criticism of the kit, it’s that I wish the pen were a little sturdier – made of resin or something instead of plastic. It looks good (so good that I had a hard time figuring out where the lid to the pen was!), but it seems like it might run out of ink quickly.
The main event, of course, is the journal itself. The Pensieve emblem on the front makes it a little bulky – I would be worried about it breaking off or scuffing if I carried it around – but I kind of like the fact that its bulkiness encourages you to use the journal as part of the kit. If you keep it stored in its lovely box and only take it out when you’re feeling ready to really think about which memories you want to record, it heightens the experience of writing. It’s almost like you are actually traveling into Dumbledore’s Pensieve! The journal also features quotes from the Potter films throughout – a fun touch to inspire your writing!
The Pensieve kit retails for $34.95 and will be available in stores November 7 – just in time for the holiday season! You can pre-order it now.
In addition, Running Press has two new additions to its line of mini-kits, including a revamped Sorting Hat and Newt Scamander’s case!
Some fans might remember an earlier version of the Sorting Hat kit (are we showing our age?), where the Sorting Hat was a kind of Magic 8-Ball. In this updated version, you can press a button, and the Hat will shout out one of the four Hogwarts Houses. In my minute or two of experimentation, it seemed like the Hat will cycle through all four Houses before repeating, but the order in which they’ll be called out is unpredictable.
The kit also includes a small sticker book, which is mostly standard fare except for four stickers with the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw crests. I’ve never seen exactly these designs before, and they’re very striking. The Sorting Hat kit is available now.
The New Scamander case kit also includes a short booklet, this one just with images of the different beasts. It’s nice, even though the images are nothing we haven’t seen before. The case itself – with the little Niffler paws sticking out – is very cute, though the sound it makes is a little terrifying. The only real downside to this kit is that it only gives you a tease of the Niffler, rather than the real thing. This kit will be available on October 10. Both kits retail for $12.95 each.
Thank you to Running Press for giving us a sneak peek of these items! If you haven’t already started your holiday wish list, these might be a good place to start.
