EDitorial ± 21-Jul-2007

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

21st July 2007, book the seventh, Deathly Hallows, and a full four years on from mine and Eldest's 6am Waterstones trip to purchase book 5, Order Of The Phoenix. You'll already know that I'm a close personal friend of JK Rowling, though she remains unaware of this.

Hadn't pre-ordered, hence casting around for hardback prices. In a damp Woodbridge, yesterday, had spotted (a) Browsers bookshop advertising it for £15.99 -- yikes -- including a £5 voucher, and (b) Woodbridge Books proclaiming a £10.99 price. Both had launch parties that night.

Biked back (the wrong way) along the Buttermarket around 6pm on Friday: already a handful of hardy souls queueing outside Waterstones. Make the most of Starbucks while it's still open. Couldn't interest Eldest in heading down there for midnight, so opted to pick up a copy or two in the harsh daylight of Saturday.

Results of the Potter trawl of the town centre:

  • WH Smith -- £8.99 if spending another £15 on other books and stationery, else £10.99
  • Woolies -- £6.99 if spending another £10 in store, else £8.99
  • HMV -- £8.99, no catches
  • Waterstones -- £8.99, no catches
  • Sainsburys -- £8.87, no catches

Our hard-earned found its way to Mr Waterstone, partly 'cos we could get the normal version and the "adult" version (longer words, less pictures).

Post Script: did the Asda run later that afternoon. Fully expected to be confronted with an host of Hallows displays in the entrance, but none to be seen. Figured they'd not resolved their dispute with Bloomsbury. Eventually asked one of the Here To Help ladies:

[me] So you didn't get any of the Potter books?
[lady] Er, yes, we sold out at lunchtime.
[me] And how much were you selling it for?
[lady] Five pounds. Why, did you want one? I know where you can get one ...
[me] Er, maybe. Where?
[lady, whispering] Morrisons -- £4.99.

Oh, and Mr Tesco will sell it to you for a fiver ... if you spend another £50 on groceries. Generous to a fault.