Bookish Merchandise I love and wish I had! #Thebookblogtrain

Hola Readers!

Today at the table we have Bookish Merchandise to discuss and I am very excited to start the buzz! So without any further ado, let’s jump into the marvellous world of bookish merchandises!

Merch brings in a lot of different things to our mind, then be it bookmarks, expensive notebooks, thematic totes, bags or tees, high price of simple badges & what not – but one thing which remains the same is that, we all adore them like so much!

They are the perfect gift for any book lover.

Gift me a book, i will thank you a lot, gift me a Harry Potter themed merch, that will be enough to make me fall in love with you! XD!

Initially, I wasn’t into it for a long time. Since last year i started collecting just to realize how much i was missing! Apart from that, one thing that hinders this fad of collecting merch, is their high price and less market in India and the fact that I am always broke, blankly refuses to help!

But whatever it be, we can never get over with customised bookmarks, scented candles, ‘Valar Morghulis’ tee and wands from HP, can we?

They are the –

‘Gateway of Fictional Worlds into the Reality!’

They have this home-coming vibe that you cannot resist, they make you believe in the spellbindingly interwoven fantasies penned in the books, they satisfy the fandoms and lastly, they soothe us with the –

sense of belongingness and the joy of ‘Picturing The Magic’ in our brains!

So, apparently my craze has been exposed. And Here’s the list of merch I love and wish I had and also which are the integral part of my love for the fictional world!

1.Bookmarks

Breaking News :

“Because of ever-increasing demand of newly designed bookmarks from book buyers, Amazon hires Bookmark Designers at its Headquarters.”

Don’t tell me if you never wished this to come true everytime you saw the same bookmark while opening your parcel.

How A-DUMBLE-DORABLE this bookmark is?

Booklovers have enough of ’em. The range is hilarious – from chocolate wrapper, bun stick, TV remote, train ticket to sophisticated long rectangular bookmarks! XD! Our books have experienced all of them.

2.Book Sleeves

“You need summercoat to protect yourself, so do the books! “

I solemly swear that I am upto no sleeve!

Though expensive for broke bookworms, sleeves turn out your most loyal companion in the long go. Be them at your bookshelf, or on your way to Goa, they gonna be loyal in protecting your books with the utmost care.

Most Loyal Travel Companion

I myself bought my first one when Diwali Sale was going on! 😂😂🙈

Also, worth many amazeballs, have you heard of ‘Bookmark Sleeves‘ in the market? Now they are also asserting their rights as hell! 😂

3. Postcards

Did you know?
India has the largest postal network in the world. Postal department are the lifeline of the Indian masses. Its charm has always been so calming and exciting.

Thank you Postman Uncle!

Bookish postcards have been circulated by publishers all over the world depicting charcaters from their books and stuff. And they don’t leave any stone unturned in making the most beautiful of their kind. Somedays back, a postcard for Tishani Doshi’s book captured everyone’s eye!

Wit and Wisdom travelling places!

4. Tote Bags

Who does not love flaunting bookish totes on book events, fairs and shops?

Not For Resale

This tote, had a long journey way from Mumbai. Our city shops had the illustrated version of HP #1 but no totes, so the Bloomsbury Manager dropped this for us at the main book shop after I contacted him.

I love carrying books and stuff in them, and my ‘being potterhead’- wali feeling goes high! 😂🤣

5. Coffee Mugs & Kulhads

To sip or not to sip?

Someone said this,

” DRINK tea,

READ books,

BE happy! “

Full of ‘Josh’ !

Sipping tea/coffee amidst reading has become a tradition ritual for all of us, right?

I love having tea in my Gryffindor kulhad and reading the Sorting Ceremony at the same time!

6. Sling Bags or Backpacks

Fun Fact-

Rummaging mindlessly through your backpack just to avoid interaction with others is the best way the ‘Introvert’ in you manages to stay calm!

My sister’s type of ‘Dora-The Explorer’ wala backpack!

Easy to carry small stuff around and books too!

7. Notebooks

Some Random knowledge I came across-

“Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever.”

J. K. Rowling used to keep a notebook!

You never know what publishers do to allure you into books! 🌸

8. Badges

‘Readers Gonna Read!’

‘Dobby is a free elf! Dobby has no master!’

Badges and enamel pins have become so common now. Like the ones for bookstagrammers, some for readers and many more.

Recent one on rack is the Magical Women enamel pin all over #bookstagram!

Now some which I wish to have,

1. Candles

I am waiting for my first candle, hope it arrives this week.

The variety of material used, from soy wax to the container, from the enchanting aroma to the flickering flame, everything has its own charm.

2. My own Hermione’s Wand

To my fate, Ollivanders fell short of Vine Wood and Dragon Heartstring !

As soon as its restocked, my wand chooses me and I could also do

swish and flick while muttering

‘WingArdium LeviOsa‘!

3. GOT, HP and other fandom based Tees

‘You cannot prove something if you don’t ‘wear‘ it!’

I have been eyeing a Deathly Hallow Hoodie like since ages.

4. Funko Pops

Oh yeah! The most adorable ones on the earth. I so wish I could have them.

5. There are many more, which bookstagrammers love using and direly wish for.

I think I am done blabbering so much about Merch 🙈😂.

One important thing, these merchs help generate a lot of revenue and large scale employment for many small shops and bookbox companies in India, so all are worth the efforts made.

Sometimes #FOMO ( fear of missing out) on some merch overtakes us, at that point just do what is right and wise! Merch will come and go, you have to stay. Don’t allow it to become a compulsion.

So, next time you see a booklover flaunting his/her bookish tee/bag/accessory or be it, trying the ‘Alohomora’ charm with Hermione’s wand, try to be a part of his/her happiness and sense of joy!

And the ever-increasing collection of Fictional Oddities is forever!

This article is written as a part of #Thebookblogtrain conducted by Vidhya Thakkar and Siddhi Palande powered byPenguin India and Redwolf should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. Hosts are not responsible for any infringement caused.”