I know many a fan of Pinterest and DIY blogs who make and sell wands for large groups of kids. Those wands are made in bulk, start off as rolled paper or chopsticks, are covered in clever glue dollops, given a coat of brown paint and gold paint by dry brushing, and they delight kids en masse for birthday parties.
Several times I have been asked at conventions about competition as though it should worry me. Even if there are several wand purveyors, I claim I don’t have any competition. The wand chooses the witch or wizard after all. In fact, I’m delighted the kind of compliments I receive regarding my wares. They do get compared to the chopsticks and paper rolled and the over-painted. I have been held up next to the Noble brand and there’s really no comparison. These wands are not trying to be what was held by an actor in a movie.
Those who have read the Harry Potter series, these wands came out of my head after reading those. These are based on what was discussed in the books, off of the core descriptions. And I think it is the most telling when a fan of or owner of my wands will confide in me that the wand is real to them. That’s the highest praise of all.
I have always enjoyed making properties (props) for film and theatre. The wands are my favorite to make of them all. And the whole point of them is, after reading the books, I wished for a letter from a far away wizarding school. And even if that letter will never come, at least I have my wand, and I can use it to help focus my imagination until my heart is content.