Debuting as a Comic Con exclusive before hitting wider retail, Wow Stuff’s Mystery Flying Snitch is one of the cooler pieces of Harry Potter merchandise to come out in quite some time. It’s a Golden Snitch that really flies. Sort of. Kind of.
The Snitch itself looks fantastic. Comparing it to the sticker kit Snitch, it’s both more accurately detailed and a much better shade of gold. It’s very slightly smaller with more delicate wings that flutter at the flip of a switch. Even if it didn’t fly, it’d still be a great little prop replica to keep on your shelf or desk (there’s even a stand included for just that purpose). But let’s be real, you want to see this thing fly.
I hope I’m not speaking out of school or ruining anything by explaining the trick behind its flight. And trick is the right word as the Mystery Flying Snitch uses a classic magician’s technique – invisible thread. Simply stick one end to the Snitch and the other behind your ear. Hook the thread around your thumb and you’re good to go. Despite not having played around with an invisible thread levitation in about 20 years, it took no time to get the hang of it again and I imagine it won’t be much more difficult for a novice to pick it up.
It comes with eight threads, an extra set of wings, the aforementioned stand and a Quidditch poster. More thread can be bought at the Wow Stuff website or at your local magic shop.
Is the Mystery Flying Snitch perfect? Not quite. The thread comes off the Snitch a bit too easily and the screw holes are really noticeable. But these are incredibly minor complaints.
It’s a blast to play with and would look great as a cosplay accessory. With a Snitch hovering around you it’s hard not to feel a little like a Seeker. Probably as close to an athlete as I’ll ever get.
You can get one for yourself at Entertainment Earth.
