4723- Diagon Alley Shops

This set is by far my favorite of the three two-scene sets produced for the first Harry Potter movie.  So many accessories!  The only thing that would make this set better is if I had the cardboard background that first came with it.






Along with lovely Hermione, we get a wizard accessory/potions shop and an animal/wand shop.  Much can be left up to the imagination as to what some of the items in the shops actually are.












I think all three of the main characters were meant to have bad hair in the early years, and so does young Lego Hermione.  Her hair is thick, has no real style, and sticks up in a few places.  Perfect.  The rest of her outfit is equally as plain, as she is wearing a light blue jumper and blue pants.  It may say something about the jumper that this is the only time that torso piece was used.

The first shop has a coat rack construction, making use of a white goblet.  Hung on the rack are two capes, one red and one black with small grey stars.  The next little section is an orange chest of drawers with a stoppered bottle and two special print books (see below for details) on top.

The main back wall is built with two small cupboards and two tall white pillars.  Resting on the top bar are two witches hats, one purple and one dark pink.  In front of two bottles on the lower shelf is a semi strange construction that has a hook for a broom.  In total, the shelves contain four stoppered translucent bottles and a large translucent pink jug.  This jug in any colour only appears in Fabuland, Belville, and two 4 Juniors sets, so this is the only "pure" Lego set it's in.  I love all the different coloured bottles and some even have gem stoppers, which is great for borrowing for use as treasure elsewhere.




The second shop is the best, though it might not be much to look at.  On the right, there's a little till with a fire resting on a pair of drawers.  Happily, these drawers contain old style Lego coins, which aren't seen anymore.  They came connected in a set of four, one of each reading 10, 20, 30, or 40.  The middle bit they were connected to was also shiny gold, so I usually kept that one and called it a 50 piece.

The main attraction of the shop are all the wonderful animals.  There is a light grey owl resting on a purple stand, a white cat, a dark grey rat, a frog resting on a translucent pink chest only seen in this and Belville sets, and an interesting translucent scorpion inside the chest.  In addition to being my first and only scorpion, one of this colour is only otherwise seen in a 2000 Arctic set.

There are also some wizarding accessories in this shop.  Standing on the very top of the back wall are four different coloured wands, which I'm sure I later used as light sabers.  There is also a mystical crystal ball resting on the high shelf.




Additional Image:

Year Released: 2001
Retail Price: $10.00

Pieces: 80
Minifigures: 1

My Purchase Location: Gift