Kolkata's book stores that are cashing in on the Harry Potter mania as the seventh and final installment in the series - 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' - has sold 50 per cent more in its first day of release compared to the last book - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is being sold at Rs 975 in Kolkata with most stores offering a discount of 10-15 per cent. |
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The last book "� Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince "� was sold in Kolkata at Rs 895. |
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According to Gautam Jatia, CEO, Starmark, the sales figures this year doubled simply because of the amount of hype created this time with the last book buzz. |
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"We sold 700 copies on Saturday, the first day itself, and have orders for selling 1,000 copies by Sunday evening," Jatia said. |
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Likewise, at Oxford Book Stores, sales figures for 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' have already crossed 3,000 copies nationally, with Kolkata registering sale of 300 copies in the first hour on Saturday itself. |
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Oxford is hoping to sell more than 1,300 copies in Kolkata alone, clocking a total business of close to Rs 12 lakhs and above. |
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Last year, with Half Blood Prince, Oxford registered sales of Rs 64 lakhs in three days compared to close to Rs 44 lakhs in the first day this time. |
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Starmark, last year, recorded a pre-sale order of 400 copies for Half Blood Prince and sold 700 copies in one month. |
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While, with 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', Starmark this year sold 700 copies in the first day and has bagged orders for 1,000 copies by Sunday evening. |
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Smaller book stores, like Family Book Store on Park Street, too has bagged pre-release order for 1,300 copies for Deathly Hallows that it expects to despatch in one or two days. |
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The popularity of the Harry Potter series has translated into substantial financial success for Rowling, her publishers, and other Harry Potter related license holders. |
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The six Harry Potter books published to date have collectively sold more than 325 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 63 languages. |
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On April 12 this year, Barnes & Noble declared that Deathly Hallows has broken its preorder record, with over 500,000 copies preordered through its site. |
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The Harry Potter films too have spawned five video games and have in conjunction with them led to the licensing of over 400 additional Harry Potter products, including an iPod, that have, as of July 2005, made the Harry Potter brand worth an estimated $4 billion and J K Rowling a US dollar billionaire, making her, by some reports, richer than Queen Elizabeth II. |
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