Potter craze goes back to the basics

Sad news for compulsive shoppers. Associated Press Reports as publication nears for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, expect some of the usual midnight madness and at least one new twist: less Potter merchandise.

“We’ve got Harry Potter pens and bookmarks, and a few of those types of things. But that’s really it. There definitely will not be as much as the last time,” says Beth Bingham, a spokeswoman for the superstore chain Borders Group, Inc.