July 21, 2005

Still making magic

Almaden readers help boost ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ sales,
which top $100 million in 24 hours

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

With her wizard hat, robe, and pet snake Stubby, Kaitlin Dost’s ensemble wasn’t complete until she had her very own copy of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” in her hands. At nearly 1 a.m., the wait, she said was worth every minute.

There can only be one explanation for the phenomenon that swept the world last weekend when 250,000 copies per hour flew off shelves into nearly 6.9 million outstretched hands—magic.

Not only was last Saturday a stellar day for booksellers, fans it seems were anything but disappointed with the sixth installment of the J.K. Rowling fantasy series, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

In darkness, millions lined up outside bookstores around the world for its midnight release on Saturday. Locally, young and old alike dressed in makeshift wizard costumes fashioned out of graduation gowns and satin or burlap covered cone-shaped hats, eager to immerse themselves in the next saga.

Within 24 hours, 6.9 million copies had already been sold in the United States, shattering the record held by its predecessor, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” Britain added another two million later, making it the most successful release in publishing history with $100 million in revenue, nearly twice what the Tom Cruise epic “War of the Worlds” earned all weekend.

On Saturday, nearly 2,500 people lined up—both inside and out—at Barnes & Noble in Almaden for the midnight release of J.K. Rowling’s sixth book in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

And it’s not done yet. Scholastic Inc., the U.S. publisher of the Potter series, is printing and will ship another 10.8 million copies of the latest book.

Nine San Jose/South Bay area Barnes & Noble stores welcomed the public into the stores with Midnight Magic Parties, complete with Harry Potter contests, games, and giveaways.

In Almaden, about 2,500 people started arriving as early as 3 p.m. to get a yellow wristband that would guarantee them a copy, including fifth grader Serena McNair from Blossom Valley.

Like most, she and millions of others couldn’t wait to get their copies and find out who hooks up with whom and, worst of all, who dies at the end.

It was a secret that almost got out last week when a copy of “The Half-Blood Prince” accidentally made it into the hands of a group of people, prompting a Supreme Court judge to issues a gag order and have them return it before Saturday’s release.

“We wanted to remain open past midnight to ensure that Potter fans got their copies of the book as soon as it was released,” said Mike Koller, community relations manager for the Almaden store. “The turnout has been great and everything has gone smoothly.”

The wait, according to brothers Graham, left, and Aaron Smith, wasn’t too bad. “The line for Starbucks was even longer,” laughed Aaron.

One ninth-grader, Kaitlin Dost, even brought a friend—her 3-foot snake Stubby. After waiting in line for nearly two hours, she and her dad Conrad were on their way home, eager to start reading.

By 2 a.m. most of the crowd had charged in to take their place in line, but ventured slowly out with their faces buried in the pages. The evening, according to Kerrie Lou Fanucchi, was a complete success.

“It’s really gone like clockwork,” she said. “I’ve been really pleased.”

Not even the younger set seemed bent out of shape after waiting for two hours, according to brothers Graham and Aaron Smith.

“This wasn’t so bad,” said Aaron. “The line for Starbucks was even longer.”