By Elazar Abrahams
As a born-and-bred New Yorker, there isn’t much reason for me to prowl the 42nd Street stretch of Times Square. But now, right next to Madame Tussauds and Ripley’s Believe It or Not, two places I will probably never step foot in, is House of Spells, a new fandom-focused retail store.
After missing the official opening on the morning of Wednesday, July 29, I moseyed on into the 20,000 square feet space the following evening, before a showing of The Odyssey at the AMC next door. And boy was I impressed!
House of Spells is a U.K.-based retailer specializing in licensed merchandise, collectibles, and pop-culture goods, and its Times Square location is not some tiny souvenir shop with a few wands and Hogwarts mugs. Its two floors are staggering. The ground level hooks you quickly into the fantasy mood, with a large dragon, swords on the walls, and a theatrical atmosphere that you understand why this store wanted to be in Times Square instead of some quieter retail corridor.
Downstairs is where the store really opens up. The lower level has a dungeon-like feel and is shockingly expansive, with a little bit of everything the person in your life who owns a lightsaber and a Funko collection could want.
The two biggest franchises on display, at least from what I saw, are Harry Potter and Stranger Things. The Harry Potter presence is funny in New York because there is already an official Potter store downtown near the Flatiron Building, but House of Spells still has a ton of Wizarding World merchandise, including items tied to all four Hogwarts houses.
Stranger Things was the surprise runner-up. There were plushies, candles, backpacks, apparel, and all kinds of Hawkins-branded merchandise. It really does show how massive that Netflix show remains, especially with younger fans. Beyond those two, the store features plenty of other fandoms, including Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Pokémon, anime, Doctor Who, Squid Game, Vikings, Friends, and more.
What I appreciated most is that the store does not feel as cramped as I expected. Times Square retail can often feel like sensory overload, with every inch packed to the point where browsing becomes stressful. House of Spells actually shows a little restraint. There is dead space, but in a good way. The aisles breathe. The rooms have shape. You can imagine the store using that space for future events, themed activations, release parties, trivia nights, cosplay meetups, or whatever else makes sense as the place settles into its New York life.
The prices were also more reasonable than I expected. Yes, there are pricier collectibles and bigger-ticket items, but there were also plenty of small tchotchkes for around $5 or less. In a Times Square store built to catch tourist foot traffic, that was genuinely nice to see.
As a place to pop into before or after a movie, Broadway show, or Midtown outing, I’d fully recommend it. If you have someone in your life who loves general nerdery, fantasy franchises, sci-fi, superheroes, or pop-culture collectibles, this would be a fun place to pick out a gift.
For a store sitting in one of the most tourist-trap-heavy stretches of Manhattan, that is a little bit of magic.
Find more information HERE.
