Harry Potter Fans Spend A Shocking Amount On Merch, Says Study

According to a study conducted by money.co.uk, Harry Potter fans spend an astonishing amount on collecting merchandise and memorabilia.

It's not my speed, personally, but the expansive and enticing world that the Harry Potter books and movies built has entranced fiction fans from all walks of life. Even though the story of Harry Potter has come to a close, there are still new characters and new journeys to trail after. For example, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the third entry in the Fantastic Beasts spin-off series, is finally due to release in April following a laborious process of delays and recasting of a central character. And the arrival of Hogwarts Legacy later this year has fans all aflutter with the prospect of an open-world Harry Potter game featuring a very different version of the historic school for wizards and witches.

Check out a glimpse of the gameplay in the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy, an adventure set in the 1800s where the wizarding world faces a terrifying threat from evildoers.

Regrettably, the process of gathering a collection of magical merchandise and memorabilia that would put Borgin and Burkes to shame costs a pretty penny. If you are predisposed to dragon-like hoarding tendencies, I'm certain this is no surprise to you, however it is wild to see the actual number placed on the cost of shelling out for sought-after goodies. The team at money.co.uk examined almost 40 of the biggest film franchises out there, including James Bond, Jurassic Park, Superman, and Batman. They then compared the average price of a box set, a figurine, a t-shirt, a costume and a signed poster pertaining to each of these franchises and added these altogether to work out the average cost of being a fan of this particular series.

As you are aware, Harry Potter tops the list with the average value of a collection totting up to £467.98 (or $617 if you're from across the pond). The most expensive item is the signed poster at an average of £306, though the cost of the box set (£55) and the figurine (£52) is also accounting for a chunk of the total. Obviously, your mileage may vary if you're getting your goods off of somewhere like eBay.

There isn't much in it between Harry Potter and The Godfather, which weighs up at £448.62, and the three remaining spots in the top five most expensive franchises are taken up by Back to the Future (£355.84), Superman (£263.11) and Lord of the Rings (£250.51). To be honest, for that latter one, we could have just gone and asked our editor Mark.