Field Tripping to the Store of Requirement in Melbourne

“If you have to ask, you’ll never know. If you know, you need only ask.”

I’ve been hanging out to do this post for the past two weeks. Especially after Jess and Teagan from Fictionnochaser tagged me to do the Harry Potter – Honoring the Dead Book Tag. What better way to follow up a Harry Potter tag than to do a field-trip-day-in-the-life-outing-thing? Still haven’t come up with a fancy name for it yet. So sue me.

Okay, so background information… Most people who know me know that I have an almost insatiable wanderlust. I love road trips and outings of any kind. Another thing, I’m a huge advocate for the beautifully vibrant city of Melbourne. When most people hear “Australia” they automatically think Sydney. Yes Sydney has a lot going for it; it’s very touristy with the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House but it’s dirty and the coffee isn’t half as good as Melbourne (the world’s most liveable city!). If Sydney is the Los Angeles of Australia than Melbourne is New York. Classier, cleaner and very cultured. Melbourne is Australia’s hidden gem. We have incredible intricate lane ways where you can explore street art and grab a bite to eat. We have the best coffee in Australia and, we are the Fashion and Arts capital down under. Our city is a sprawling, urban jungle dotted with lush park lands, cosmopolitan districts all trimmed by the Yarra River.

Right, now I’ve well and truly established my complete and utter love and devotion to Melbourne, let me tell you why Melbourne just got a whole lot better… Drum roll please…We now have an official Harry Potter store; The Store of Requirement! Located in the upmarket, hipster district of Collingwood, just a tram ride past Parliament, The Store of Requirement is the destination for any Witch or Wizard (muggles who?) and I can’t wait to share all the wonder with you all. I’ll try not to fan-girl to hard…

Okay, so my first impression as my best friends; Harmony, Sam and I made our way to the Victorian heritage building on Smith St was “Omfg – this is right out of Diagon Alley!”. When you walk down the street and first see The Store of Requirement’s picturesque window display and wrought-iron details it just feels like a place a wizard would take up residence.  There are old-fashioned trunks arranged in the entrance, trimmed by many a fantastic creature. Brown paper packages (yes – they are tied up with strings) loiter the interior, straight off of Harry and Ron’s Kings Cross trolleys. Hogwarts letter have been painted on the floor, Cornish Pixies hang from cages and some seriously adorable owls look down from the rafters, bearing their post. It’s this intricate attention to detail and the little nods to the books and films that truly make the Store of Requirement such an incredible experience.  This is not just another themed souvenir shop and the craftsmanship proves it. My girls and I felt like Harry, dressed in hand-me-downs watching in awe and wonder as Hagrid taps those bricks to reveal the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley.

The Store of Requirement is also a proudly Australian owned and run business and the staff are super friendly. There are no Slytherin bullies to be found here. The owners and staff are more than happy to have a chat about all things Potter and will help you with all your shopping needs. Also, the Store of Requirement even has a webstore with free shipping Australia wide so if you aren’t lucky enough to have this little Harry Potter gem in your backyard you can still order some seriously cool merch. And, better yet… the Store of Requirement also ships overseas so all my friends in the USA or UK won’t miss out! 😉

The store itself is super cozy and its plain to even the muggles that the staff have used the Hogwarts castle and the houses themselves as a motif through the stores exteriors and interiors. Overall, despite the dedicated house sections, I found that the store gives that sense of being in the Gryffindor common room. I felt right at home, what with the stain glass windows, luxurious scarlet rugs, wooden bookshelves, arm chairs and faux fire place. I loved how they had all the characters wands, as well as an incredible selection of masterfully crafted Harry Potter replicas on display. We had so much fun drooling and marveling over the wand designs and the the props. There is a scale replica of the infamous philosopher’s stone, Ravenclaw’s diadem, Hermione’s time turner, the tri wizard cup, Tom Riddel’s diary just to name a few. You can even purchase the books that started it all and sit down in the common room area to flick through your favorite adventures or just to chat and take the ambiance all in.  That being said, the Store of Requirement still showcases its house pride with each Hogwarts house featured in it’s own section with an abundance of accessories and merchandise.

We all went slightly crazy in the store (despite solemnly swearing that we would not get up to no good and send ourselves broke). I walked away with a new Gryffindor scarf and matching beanie, two boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (which after eating a dirt, earwax and vomit flavor I now regret) and a replica of Hermione’s beautifully crafted wand (10 3/4 inches, crafted from vine wood and containing a dragon’s heart-string core). Harmony treated herself to the replica of Luna’s wand, basically her favorite character and spirit animal (unfortunately the core and make of Luna’s wand is unknown) and a color changing mug featuring the infamous marauders map. Harmony made the smart decision to treat herself to some chocolate frogs – the safe decision as opposed to the horrors that awaited me with the beans. “But which ones gave you more memories?” She said when I declared I should have gone with the frogs. Nightmares, Harmony. Nightmares. At least I have some truly hilarious videos heeheehee. Sam, our newest Harry Potter fan, started off her collection with the iconic replica of Harry’s wand (11 inches, crafted from holly, containing a single feather from a phoenix tail.) with it’s distinctive handle. She also bought a scarf and beanie and a neck tie in her house colors – Slytherin. Talk about show casing her house pride! Not even I have a Gryffindor ties… Better Get on that stat!

What I loved the most about the merchandise available at the Store of Requirement, and why I highly recommend it, is the overall quality of the wands and clothing. These are not Harry Potter scarfs that you can find at any ol’ place. In fact, after searching for a good quality, fully licensed Griffindor scarf for years I can state that with genuine confidence. These are not the scarfs going for $60 or more at Australian popular culture stores. The scarfs at the Store of Requirement look like they’ve come straight out of the films. They’re long, nice and thick with the Hogwarts House crests trimmed with a fringe and only at $34. Basically a steal. The scarfs, like all of the clothing, wands, replicas and toys available at the Store of Requirement are officially licensed and they offer those hard-to-find collectibles as well. There is more Harry Potter merchandise lining the walls than you could ever expect to find, not even in Hermione’s extendable bag!

We had such an incredible experience at the Store of Requirement and it’s so exciting to have such a wonderful Harry Potter experience arrive in Melbourne. Melbourne really is such a beautiful, sprawling city and hopefully this post might make you consider coming to visit both the city itself as well as the Store of Requirement. Whether your browsing the store to spend money or not, it’s an unparalleled experience for true Harry Potter fans like ourselves. Trust me though – you can’t walk into the Store of Requirement and not be tempted to buy something so my advise? Save your money before going so you won’t feel guilty later! Hopefully I’ll see you there on my next visit. Just don’t forget to don your best wizard’s robes and bring your wands.

Also – this review was not sponsored in anyway but I felt this amazing store deserved some recognition and love. All opinions are my own.

Advertisement